(Story taken from the Trinity University website)
by Sharon Jones Schweitzer '75
SAN ANTONIO, Texas – Trinity
University’s Board of Trustees has elected Danny J. Anderson,
Ph.D. to serve as the University’s 19th president. Anderson,
currently dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the
University of Kansas, will assume the presidency May 29, 2015.
“The Board’s decision to elect Danny Anderson as
Trinity’s next president was unanimous,” said Doug
Hawthorne ’69, ’72, chairman of Trinity’s Board
of Trustees. “Dr. Anderson’s leadership experience and
perspective, his knowledge of the higher education landscape, and
his commitment to the liberal arts experience, will be of
tremendous value as Trinity advances as an innovative leader in
higher education.” Trinity recently established and approved
a ten-year strategic plan designed to place the University at the
forefront of defining the new liberal arts experience.
“It is an exciting opportunity to lead Trinity University
during this transformational period,” said Anderson. “I
will work to ensure Trinity is recognized
as the model of 21st century liberal arts
education. Through the discovery that occurs in the Trinity
experience, students grow and become the kind of leaders our world
needs today,” he added.
Anderson is a long-time faculty member and administrator at the
University of Kansas. He oversees a college that consists of
approximately 600 faculty and 55 departments and programs and is
responsible for budgetary oversight, curriculum development, and
faculty recruitment and development. Known on the Lawrence, Kansas
campus as a highly effective leader, Anderson was appointed dean of
the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 2010. His leadership
has helped to raise more than $80 million as part of a capital
campaign, revitalized the college’s advisory board, and
restructured staff roles to better support alumni engagement.
An award-winning teacher, Anderson has first-hand experience
integrating experiential learning into his classroom and a deep
appreciation for international awareness. He has received a number
of awards and fellowships, including the ING Award for Teaching
Excellence; a W.T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence; and a
National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship for University
Teachers. He is the author of one book and editor of nine books,
including titles in the series “Pan-American Literature in
Translation” for the University of Texas Press; and he has
published more than 25 articles, essays, book chapters, and
translations. A specialist in Mexican literature and culture, his
research interests and teaching has taken him to Mexico many
times.
“Trinity is remarkably well situated in San Antonio to
further explore ties to Mexico and Latin America, I believe my
unique background will help Trinity further engage the many facets
of San Antonio’s heritage. I look forward to becoming
actively involved in the San Antonio community,” he said.
Anderson began his academic career in 1985 at the University of
Texas at Austin. He joined the Kansas faculty in 1988 as an
assistant professor in Spanish and was named a full professor in
2003. He also served as chair of the department of Spanish and
Portuguese, associate dean in the College for Interdisciplinary
Programs, vice provost for Academic Affairs, and interim provost
and executive vice chancellor.
President-Elect Anderson is a native Texan. He was born in Houston
and lived most of his formative years in Rusk, Texas. He received a
bachelor of arts in Spanish from Austin College (Sherman, Texas),
and a master’s and doctorate in Spanish at the University of
Kansas. Anderson and his wife, Kimberly, a teacher, librarian, and
community volunteer, are parents to two adult children.
Chosen following a national search, Anderson will succeed
President Dennis A. Ahlburg. President Ahlburg, who announced in
May that he would be stepping down at the end of his contract, will
begin a sabbatical January 2, 2015.
Trinity University, one of the nation's top private undergraduate
institutions, is known for its superior academic quality,
personalized attention with outstanding faculty, exceptional
resources, real-world preparation, and vibrant campus life. Trinity
is a community that encourages students to discover, grow, and
become passionate, productive individuals. Located in historic,
culturally rich San Antonio, Trinity offers the most relevant
education option for talented students today.