Five candidates selected for Vice President for Academic Affairs search

The Vice President for Academic Affairs will provide leadership and direction for all academic programs while advancing the strategic goals of MSU Moorhead. This position will also build strong partnerships in community and economic development.

Candidate interviews start January 23, 2019.

Candidate Arrick Jackson’s public forum will be Thursday, January 24 at 1 p.m., Langseth Hall 118.

Dr. Arrick Jackson is currently dean of the College of Education and Human Services at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich. He previously served as vice president of Community and Industry Education Services, and divisional dean of Public Services and Social and Behavioral Sciences, both at Tarrant County College District, Fort Worth, Texas. He holds a PhD in political science from Washington State University (WSU) and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in criminal justice, from WSU and University of Alaska Fairbanks, respectively. Jackson served in the U.S. Army as a military intelligence non-commissioned officer-in-charge at Fort Hood, Texas. He is an experienced fundraiser, grant writer and community developer.

Candidate Jean Haar’s public forum will be Monday, February 4 at 1 p.m., CB 111.

Dr. Jean Haar is currently dean of the College of Education at Minnesota State University Mankato. She previously held positions at the university as interim dean for Extended Education; chair, Department of Educational Leadership; founding director, Center for Engaged Learning; and professor in the Department of Educational Leadership. Haar also has 18 years of experience as a classroom teacher and high school principal in K-12 school districts. Haar earned a PhD in administration, curriculum and instruction from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, an MA in educational administration and a BA in English, both from South Dakota State University. She has served as a Board of Examiner Reviewer for National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and is a previous Bush Foundation Leadership Fellow. Haar is a frequent national, regional and state presenter and has numerous publications to her credit, including co-authorship of the book, “Professional learning communities: An implementation guide and toolkit (2008). She is a graduate of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Executive Leader Development Program and the HERS Bryn Mawr Summer Institute.

Candidate Alberto Ruiz’s public forum will be Tuesday, February 5 at 1 p.m., Langseth Hall 118.

Dr. Alberto Ruiz is currently the dean of the College of Education and Human Performance at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. He previously served as the university’s associate dean, College of Education; interim chair, Department of Bilingual Education; and interim chair, Department of Health and Kinesiology. Ruiz earned a doctorate of education in physical education from the University of Houston, and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in kinesiology, both from Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Ruiz is a frequent international, national and state presenter, and he has numerous publications to his credit, including being a reviewer for several professional journals and a national conference. Ruiz is a graduate of Penn State University’s Academic Leadership Academy and the Becoming a Provost Academy of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. 

Candidate Margaret Doell’s public forum will be Friday, February 8 at 1 p.m., CMU Ballroom 200 A.

Margaret Doell is currently the associate vice president for Academic Affairs at Adams State University in Alamosa, Colo. She previously served as the university’s assistant vice president for Academic Affairs; art department chair; and interim assistant provost for Academic Affairs. Her primary teaching areas are printmaking, photography and graduate seminars. Doell earned an MFA in printmaking from Concordia University in Montreal and a BFA in photography from the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg. Doell serves as an accreditation liaison officer and a steering committee chair for the Higher Learning Commission; and is a general education council representative for the Colorado Department of Higher Education. She has been honored with the Excellence in Student Engagement award at Adams State College and was a J.W. McConnell Fellow, inaugural Montreal chapter in the J.W. McConnell Society of Fellows. Doell was named an American Council on Education Fellow, spending a year at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs focusing on higher education leadership.  Doell is a frequent juror and exhibitor, with work included in art collections in the U.S. and Canada.

Candidate Marsha Weber’s public forum will be Tuesday, February 12 at 1 p.m., Langseth Hall 118.

Dr. Marsha Weber is currently the interim vice president for Academic Affairs at MSU Moorhead. She previously served as the university’s dean of the College of Business and Innovation; department chair and finance faculty in the Paseka School of Business. Weber earned a PhD in finance from the University of Nebraska Lincoln, an MBA from MSU Moorhead, and undergraduate degrees in business education and business administration from Valley City State University. Weber is currently participating in Penn State University’s Academic Leadership Academy. She has published in the areas of crisis communication, bank risk analysis, compliance, simultaneous equations, and financial education.