Hanover, Indiana (PRWEB) February 07, 2015
The Board of Trustees has elected Lake Lambert III, Ph.D., as the newest president of Hanover College. Lambert, who currently serves as dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Mercer University in Macon, Ga., will succeed Sue DeWine, Ph.D., July 1, 2015. He becomes the 16th president in the College’s 187-year history, the sixth in the past 100 years.
Mark A. Levett ’71, chair of the Board, made the announcement, following a special meeting of the trustees. Lambert had the opportunity to meet with the campus community during a ceremony introducing the new president held in the Withrow Student Activities Center.
“Dr. Lambert is the ideal choice to be Hanover’s 16th president,” said Levett. “His collective skill-set represents the complete package that we were looking for in our next president: a creative and visionary leader, a collaborative manager, extensive academic achievement, commitment to liberal arts and the ability to connect with students, faculty, alumni and community. I am confident he will positively shape Hanover’s future and will build upon its many strengths.”
Lambert has served as dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Mercer since 2010. The College of Liberal Arts is the largest of Mercer’s colleges and schools with 1,500 students, 143 faculty and staff, more than 40 academic programs and a budget exceeding $ 52 million.
“Even before I entered the presidential search process, I knew that Hanover was a special place: a strong liberal arts curriculum, unique opportunities like the Business Scholars program, broad participation in athletics, and a tightly knit residential campus form a powerful learning community that makes a holistic impact on students,” said Lambert. “I look forward to working alongside Hanover’s trustees, faculty and staff to build on this tremendous legacy.”
“Dr. Lambert will be a welcome addition to the Hanover College Community and I congratulate the search committee on its thoughtful choice,” said DeWine. “Every president brings their own unique expertise and background to the position and I’m confident that Dr. Lambert will take Hanover in new and exciting directions.”
During his tenure at Mercer, undergraduate enrollment grew by 15 percent. He also chaired a university task force on undergraduate retention and established a student-success grant program for academic departments. Additionally, he created a strategic planning committee and developed the first strategic plan for the College of Liberal Arts.
In academics, Lambert designed and implemented a new general education program and assessment system, developed four new interdisciplinary academic majors, implemented a new faculty evaluation system and created a new global and international studies department. He also expanded guaranteed admission programs, including physical therapy and law, established the McDonald Center for America’s Founding Principles with $ 3 million in private gifts and launched the Center for Collaborative Journalism with $ 3.7 million in grant support.
In total fundraising, he worked jointly to secure more than $ 5.5 million in grants and gifts for the College of Liberal Arts. Lambert also upgraded seven academic buildings, focusing on classroom technology.
Prior to joining Mercer, Lambert served as a professor of religion and Board of Regents Chair in Ethics at Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa, from 1996 to 2010. During his last two years, he served as assistant dean of academic planning at Wartburg and directed the college’s strategic planning process.
Lambert was the founding director of the Center for Community Engagement, a $ 2.5 million program funded by Lilly Endowment, Inc., providing professional development, student vocational discovery, support and expansion of experiential learning, and mutually beneficial external relationships. He also taught courses in ethics and theology.
An active scholar, Lambert’s research has focused on workplace spirituality, professional ethics, and church-related higher education. He is the author of “Spirituality, Inc.: Religion in the American Workplace,” (NYU Press 2009) which surveys the role of spirituality in business from medieval guilds to industrial company towns, right up to current trends in the contemporary business environment. Lambert has also authored several articles and essays in academic journals.
During 1991 and 1992, he served as a historian for the National Park Service, researching and planning for the Selma to Montgomery National Historic Trail, commemorating the 1965 civil rights march.
In hiring Hanover’s new president, Student Senate President Megan Robinson said students wanted someone who would participate in the college experience with them.
“I believe Dr. Lambert will exceed their expectations in every way,” she said. “He will be a visible, inviting and charismatic presence on campus, which will show students the committee listened to their wishes.”
Lambert earned his doctorate at Princeton Theological Seminary in 1997. He holds bachelor of arts (economics and history) and master of theological studies degrees from Emory University (Georgia).
His family includes his wife Kelly, daughter Bailey and son Zack.
Located on 650 acres overlooking the Ohio River in southeastern Indiana, Hanover is a premier, nationally ranked liberal arts institution that has core strengths in the sciences, education and business. Founded in 1827, Hanover is the oldest private, four-year college in Indiana.
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