Three semifinalists named for Riverland president position
Published 10:29 am Saturday, February 16, 2013
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities named three semifinalists Friday afternoon for consideration as president of Riverland Community College. The candidates are Adenuga Atewologun, Mary Davenport and Annette Parker.
Atewologun has served as vice president of academic affairs and dean of faculty at Prairie State College since 2009. He was an American Council on Education fellow at Bellevue College in Washington from 2008 to 2009; the dean of the Natural and Applied Sciences Division; interim dean of the Health, Social and Behavioral Sciences Division; and associate dean and assistant to the interim dean of the Natural Sciences Division at College of DuPage from 1997-2008. He holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural engineering from the University of Ife in Ile-Ife, Nigeria and a master’s and a doctorate in agricultural engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He will visit the Austin and Albert Lea Riverland campuses on Feb. 25, and the Owatonna campus on Feb. 26.
Davenport has served as interim vice president, academic and student affairs at Riverland since 2012. She served as interim dean of health and service programs, legislative liaison and special assistant to the president at Saint Paul College from 2011 to 2012; executive director for state and federal government relations, director, federal government relations and system director, educational grant programs, academic and student affairs at Minnesota State Colleges and Universities from 1995 to 2011; Tech Prep program manager at the Minnesota Technical College System from 1993 to 1995; and the vice president for curriculum, program and staff development at Hibbing Community College from 1988 to 1993. She holds a bachelor’s degree in home economics education from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, master’s degrees in textiles and related art and home economics education from the University of Wisconsin-Stout, an education specialist degree in guidance and counseling from Stout, and a doctorate degree in education and human resource studies-occupational and education Studies from Colorado State University. She will visit all three Riverland campuses Thursday.
Parker has served as the system executive director at the National Center of Excellence in Advanced Automotive Manufacturing and the system director of workforce education at the Kentucky Community and Technical College System since 2007. Previously, she was the department chair of manufacturing engineering technologies at Lansing Community College from 2002 to 2007. She holds an associate degree in industrial drafting from Lansing Community College, a bachelor’s degree in technical education and a master’s degree in career and technical education from Ferris State University in Mich., and a doctorate in educational leadership from Western Kentucky University. Parker will visit all three Riverland campuses Friday.
The candidates were recommended by a search advisory committee of students, faculty, staff and community leaders chaired by Tim Wynes, president of Inver Hills Community College.
The MnSCU Board of Trustees is expected to act on Chancellor Steven Rosenstone’s recommendation on a final candidate at its March 20 meeting. The new president is expected to begin in July.