18 Apr HU to Announce New President on April 26

At 4 p.m. April 26, Huntington University will host a news conference to announce its 13th president. The announcement will take place in the Longaker Recital Hall, which is located on the lower level of the Merillat Centre for the Arts.

The announcement will follow a Board of Trustees election which will occur earlier that day. The board will also vote on the future of a new campus in Peoria, Ariz., and the occupational therapy initiatives.

In October, after 22 years as president, Dr. G. Blair Dowden (right) announced his plan to retire. His last day as president is May 31, 2013.

Under Dowden’s leadership, the Christian liberal-arts campus has doubled its enrollment, tripled its endowment, and constructed or remodeled eight buildings. Huntington attracted a well-credentialed faculty and a more ethnically diverse student body. Academic programs were significantly expanded for undergraduate, adult, and graduate students. Some of the university’s largest and fastest-growing degree programs were launched during Dowden’s presidency, including nursing and digital media arts. The institution transitioned from “college” to “university” in 2005.