GOSHEN – The Goshen College Presidential Search Committee announced alumna Rebecca Stoltzfus as its candidate of choice to become the college’s 18th president during a special all-campus gathering on May 24.

Stoltzfus is the daughter of former Goshen College President Victor Stoltzfus and his wife Marie. Victor Stoltzfus was president from 1984 to 1996.

Rebecca Stoltzfus comes into the position with some pretty impressive credentials. She is vice provost for undergraduate education at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. In this role, she oversees initiatives designed to enhance undergraduate instruction and campus efforts to support inclusivity and academic success for all of Cornell’s students. She also has experience cultivating major financial gifts for the university. Since 2011, she has been part of the leadership team of Engaged Cornell, a university-wide public engagement initiative.

Dr. Stoltzfus is also a professor in Cornell’s Division of Nutritional Sciences. Before joining the Cornell faculty in 2002, she taught human nutrition at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (Baltimore, Maryland) — the top-ranked school of public health in the United States. Her research focuses on the causes and consequences of malnutrition in women and children in low-income countries.

In response to being named the presidential candidate of choice, Dr. Stoltzfus said, “The transformative education I received at Goshen College has fundamentally shaped my understanding of the world and my work as a global health researcher, as a teacher and as a leader in higher education. Thus, I am deeply honored by this call to return to my alma mater to serve and lead at this time.”

Stoltzfus graduated from Goshen College in 1983 with a major in chemistry, and received master’s and doctoral degrees in human nutrition from Cornell University.

Stoltzfus will be formally introduced to the college community when she visits the campus June 14 to 15. The Presidential Search Committee will review feedback received during the visit and present a final recommendation to the GC and Mennonite Education Agency (MEA) boards.

Source: GOSHEN NEWS