finalists named for DSU presidency
April 20, 2015
Released by the South Dakota Board of Regents, April 20, 2015.
PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Board of Regents announced today four candidates who are finalists to become the next president at Dakota State University.
Regent Terry Baloun, who chairs the presidential search process, said the finalists will be on campus in Madison Wednesday and Thursday (April 22-23) for scheduled meetings with constituents.
The finalists are:
Don Capener, Jacksonville, Fla., dean and endowed chair, Davis College of Business at Jacksonville University. Capener has been dean at Jacksonville University since 2012, where he introduced a doctorate in business administration focused on analytics and co-founded the health informatics program. Under his leadership, Jacksonville’s graduate enrollment increased 40 percent over three years. Capener has 29 years of experience as an entrepreneur, CEO, professor, and higher education administrator. His academic career began at Monmouth College in Illinois, where he was named Professor of the Year in 2006. He earned a Ph.D. from the International School of Management in Paris. His master of business administration degree is from Arizona State University and his bachelor’s degree in political science, economics, and Asian studies was earned at Brigham Young University.
José-Marie Griffiths, East Greenwich, R.I., vice president for academic affairs and professor, Bryant University. Griffiths has been engaged in higher education leadership roles for more than 30 years, with significant experience in academic affairs, information technology, and research. Her academic research is focused on using information technology in higher education, return-on-investment in non-profit institutions, and the contribution of technology and informatics to fostering economic development. Before joining Bryant University in 2010, she held leadership positions at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, University of Pittsburgh, University of Michigan, and University of Tennessee Knoxville. Her Ph.D. in information science and bachelor of science degree in physics both were awarded by University College London.
Douglas A. Hensler, Monterey, Calif., provost, Naval Postgraduate School. As provost at the Naval Postgraduate School, Hensler is responsible for a $64 million educational program geared to military and civilian students, $120 million in research programs, and $80 million in continuing education programs designed for executives, as well as military and civilian leaders. Prior to his current post, he was dean of the business school at Wichita State University and a dean and endowed business chair at California State University, Fresno. Before returning to the academic world, Hensler spent 14 years in engineering and management positions in the aerospace and nuclear industries. He holds a Ph.D. in finance from the University of Washington, an M.B.A. from the University of Portland, and a bachelor’s degree in aerospace and mechanical sciences from Princeton University.
Thomas M. Mitzel, Hartford, Conn., dean of faculty and vice president of academic affairs, Trinity College. Since 2013, Mitzel has led the academic mission at Trinity College, planning and implementing the college’s academic programs and overseeing a $47 million academic budget. He previously worked at Trinity from 2008-11 as an associate dean and chemistry professor, then moved to St. Edward’s University in Texas as dean of the School of Natural Sciences before returning to the Connecticut college. With an appreciation for the role technology plays in all aspects of education, Mitzel wrote an interactive, electronic organic chemistry book for a course he taught in 2006, well before e-books had become nationally popular. He holds a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Boston College and a bachelor of science degree in chemistry from Northern State University.
The Board of Regents will meet in executive session with the finalists during their campus visits. No action will be taken at these meetings.