2008 Woodie Awards
Vice chancellor search whittled down to final four
Peter Ruble
Issue date: 3/8/07 Section: Campus News
The University of Washington Tacoma is in the final
stages of evaluating four candidates for the position of
vice chancellor of academic affairs.
The position involves the development of new academic
infrastructure as well as management of the academic
budget and appointments of academic personnel. One of
the following four candidates will begin serving July 1.
Kris Bulcroft, Ph.D.
Kris Bulcroft is currently the vice provost for
Undergraduate Education at WWU. She received her bachelor’s
degree from Pacific Lutheran University, earned her
master’s from Eastern Washington University and earned
her doctorate from the University of Minnesota. Bulcroft’s
main emphasis is in sociology.
She is heavily involved in the study of family life and
ageing. From 1986-88, Bulcroft was a National Institute
of Mental Health post-doctoral fellow at the University of
Washington Institute on Aging and has worked at the Fred
Hutchinson Cancer research center in Seattle. She is a winner
of the Fulbright award Phil Castille, Ph.D.
Phil Castille is currently dean of the College of Arts and
Letters at Eastern Washington University.
Castille is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate who holds
advanced degrees in English from Tulane University and
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He served
as a tenured full professor at three universities including
the University of Houston - Downtown, Louisiana Tech
University and EWU where served as an assistant division
chair, department head, director and dean.
Claiming to be “good at starting academic ventures,”
Castille was the founding director of the School of Literature
and Language at EWU. He is also the founding dean of
EWU’s College of Arts and Letters and the originator of
EWU’s Centers of Academic Excellence Academy.
Joyce King, Ph.D.
Since 2004, Dr. King has served as the Benjamin E.
Mays Chair for Urban Teaching, Learning and Leadership
at Georgia State University. She holds a doctorate
in social foundations of education and a bachelor’s
degree with honors, both from Stanford University. te in
Educational Management. “I believe that the skills needed for the workplace are not
being taught in public schools,” said King, who feels that
there is too much emphasis on “privatized knowledge” at
the expense of collaboration. “The business community is
learning that diversity is good for the bottom line. Diversity
is as important in business as it is in urban studies.”
Beth Rushing, Ph.D.
Beth Rushing has worked as the dean of the School of
Liberal Arts and Sciences at Georgia College and State
University since 2001. Prior to Georgia College, she
taught at Wake Forest University, Kent State University
and the University of Tennessee at Martin.
Rushing earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology
from Carson-Newman College, and a master’s and doctorate
degrees in sociology from Duke University.
Rushing favors what she calls a “holistic approach” to
education. “Academic excellence cannot be confined to
the classroom,” she said. Rushing also believes that urban
based campuses, such as UWT, face unique challenges
concerning part-time and non-residential students. “We
need more scholarship dollars to allow students to focus
on education instead of folding shorts, waiting tables, or
steaming milk,” she said.
stages of evaluating four candidates for the position of
vice chancellor of academic affairs.
The position involves the development of new academic
infrastructure as well as management of the academic
budget and appointments of academic personnel. One of
the following four candidates will begin serving July 1.
Kris Bulcroft, Ph.D.
Kris Bulcroft is currently the vice provost for
Undergraduate Education at WWU. She received her bachelor’s
degree from Pacific Lutheran University, earned her
master’s from Eastern Washington University and earned
her doctorate from the University of Minnesota. Bulcroft’s
main emphasis is in sociology.
She is heavily involved in the study of family life and
ageing. From 1986-88, Bulcroft was a National Institute
of Mental Health post-doctoral fellow at the University of
Washington Institute on Aging and has worked at the Fred
Hutchinson Cancer research center in Seattle. She is a winner
of the Fulbright award Phil Castille, Ph.D.
Phil Castille is currently dean of the College of Arts and
Letters at Eastern Washington University.
Castille is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate who holds
advanced degrees in English from Tulane University and
the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He served
as a tenured full professor at three universities including
the University of Houston - Downtown, Louisiana Tech
University and EWU where served as an assistant division
chair, department head, director and dean.
Claiming to be “good at starting academic ventures,”
Castille was the founding director of the School of Literature
and Language at EWU. He is also the founding dean of
EWU’s College of Arts and Letters and the originator of
EWU’s Centers of Academic Excellence Academy.
Joyce King, Ph.D.
Since 2004, Dr. King has served as the Benjamin E.
Mays Chair for Urban Teaching, Learning and Leadership
at Georgia State University. She holds a doctorate
in social foundations of education and a bachelor’s
degree with honors, both from Stanford University. te in
Educational Management. “I believe that the skills needed for the workplace are not
being taught in public schools,” said King, who feels that
there is too much emphasis on “privatized knowledge” at
the expense of collaboration. “The business community is
learning that diversity is good for the bottom line. Diversity
is as important in business as it is in urban studies.”
Beth Rushing, Ph.D.
Beth Rushing has worked as the dean of the School of
Liberal Arts and Sciences at Georgia College and State
University since 2001. Prior to Georgia College, she
taught at Wake Forest University, Kent State University
and the University of Tennessee at Martin.
Rushing earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology
from Carson-Newman College, and a master’s and doctorate
degrees in sociology from Duke University.
Rushing favors what she calls a “holistic approach” to
education. “Academic excellence cannot be confined to
the classroom,” she said. Rushing also believes that urban
based campuses, such as UWT, face unique challenges
concerning part-time and non-residential students. “We
need more scholarship dollars to allow students to focus
on education instead of folding shorts, waiting tables, or
steaming milk,” she said.
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