Hodges University Announces First Finalist for Position of President

Jan. 28, 2016 - PRLog -- The board of trustees of Hodges University is pleased to announce the first finalist for the position of President, Dr. Lawrence Gould, professor and former provost at Fort Hays State University in Fort Hays, Kan.

Dr. Gould will be on the Hodges campuses on Monday, Feb. 1. Two special events for the community and alumni have been scheduled:

RSVP required (abuitrago@hodges.edu)
Fort Myers Campus – 4501 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers, FL 33966
7:30-8:30a.m. H Building – Kleist Community Room (364)
Light breakfast will be served.

Open Forum, no RSVP
Naples Campus – 2655 Northbrooke Drive, Naples, FL 34119
5:30-6:30p.m. Stock Building – John White Community Room

Dr. Lawrence (Larry) Gould has been one of the most well-known and respected chief academic officers in the 430 member American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU). Larry (as he likes to be called) served as provost/chief academic officer at Fort Hays State University (FHSU) in central Kansas for over 15 years. While at FHSU, he served as a faculty member in Political Science, founding director of the Docking Institute of Public Affairs, president of the Faculty Senate, executive assistant to the president and dean of the Colleges of Arts and Sciences and Business and Entrepreneurship. Larry previously taught at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and was a research associate with the Centre for Foreign Policy Studies at Dalhousie University in Nova Scotia, Canada.

His educational background includes a Ph.D. in political science-international relations from Purdue University in 1979, a master’s degree in political science from Eastern New Mexico University in 1973 and a B.A. in history from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in 1971.

Larry spent nine years in the National Guard in Massachusetts, New Mexico and Indiana and left service as a captain in 1979. While serving as provost, the Kansas Small Business Development Center Network reported to his office. Larry served as chair of the Hays-Ellis County Planning Commission for 28 years and remains on the board of directors for Golden Belt Bank. He has been heavily involved in local economic development activities and was awarded the Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year and Hall of Fame awards. Larry wrote several strategic plans for the Ellis County Coalition for Economic Development and completed a major telecommunications report for the governor of Kansas in 1992.

Whether playing a key role in the development of the FHSU domestic distance learning environment, initiating the internationalization of the campus or organizing the university’s participation in the Higher Learning Commission’s alternate regional accreditation track known as the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP), Larry has been a leader in using innovation to help transform FHSU into one of the country’s most successful state comprehensive universities. The Chronicle of Higher Education recognized FHSU as the third fastest growing university in the United States from 2001-2011. His bold thinking has been instrumental in creating and managing the university’s distance learning dual degree programming in China and Turkey. U.S. News and World Report selected FHSU as having the 16th best set of online academic programs in the country for 2015.

As an entrepreneurial and enthusiastic representative of FHSU, Larry believes it is important to be visible and engaged at the state and national levels. This approach adds value to the FHSU brand and opens new opportunities for faculty and students. Accordingly, he has accepted invitations to serve on the executive board of the Network for Change and Continuous Innovation (NCCI), the Implementation Board for the American Democracy Project, the Red Balloon Teaching and Learning Initiative and spent 15 years involved in AASCU activities. His recent publications include articles on adult learners, leadership, distance education and academic quality work initiatives.

Larry’s success as an administrative and academic servant is why he has been the recipient of three recent prominent national awards for provosts/leadership—the 2015 Ingram’s Icon of Education for lifetime achievement; the 2008 William M. Plater Award for Leadership in Civic Engagement; and the NCCI 2013 Brent D. Ruben Award.

Larry and his wife, Eva, have two children, Scott and Stacey, and five grandchildren.

About Hodges University
Founded in 1990, Hodges University is a private, non-profit and one of Florida’s leading institutions of higher learning. With campuses located in Naples and Fort Myers, the university uses its local roots and global reach to provide transformational, learner-driven educational opportunities for its students. In addition to offering associate, baccalaureate and graduate degrees in a variety of disciplines and delivery options, Hodges University enhances the ability of students to achieve personal and professional objectives through diverse educational experiences and programs including English as a Second Language and the Center for Lifelong Learning. For more information, call (239) 513-1122 or visit Hodges.edu.