The Assistant Provost for Curriculum at Tarleton State University in Texas has been named the new Dean of Graduate Studies and the School of Business, Math, and Science at Chadron State College.
Dr Ryan Morgan succeeds Interim Dean Dr Shaunda French-Collins, who will return to the classroom after her one-year appointment following the departure of Dr Wendy Waugh for a similar position at Nebraska Wesleyan University.
Dr Morgan joined the faculty at Tarleton State, part of the Texas A&M system, in 2014 and was department head for Chemistry, Geosciences, and Physics from 2018 until being named assistant provost this spring.
Chadron State Vice President For Academics Dr Jim Powell says Morgan brings with him a lot of excellent qualities, including a strong background in both teaching and administration, making him “a great fit” for Chadron State.
Morgan says he’s dedicated to rural institutions excited to come to CSC because it’s well-known for its teaching and the quality of its graduates – a tradition he’s looking forward to continuing, adding he’s eager to embody CSC’s mission and create partnerships with the community and students.
At Tarleton State, Morgan supervised six academic programs, worked to promote faculty research and scholarship, and created partnerships with key institutions and companies across Texas and Oklahoma that led to record-setting growth and donations for the school.
He also reorganized and streamlined a master’s degree program in environmental science that saw enrollment double, and oversaw Tarleton State’s Environmental Alliance Garden, designed to assist with student food insecurity.
Morgan says the school’s food pantry had only dry goods for students on campus, so the garden was created to add fresh fruit and vegetables. He says it was “a big step to help in addressing food insecurity, particularly for the first-generation students.”.
Morgan is a native of Michigan received both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Michigan State University before earning a PhD in Geology from Baylor University in 2015.