Penn State Intercom......April 30, 2001
Lilley leaving
Penn State Erie
John
M. Lilley, provost and dean at Penn State Erie since 1980, will be leaving
the campus to become president of the University of Nevada, Reno. Lilley
will assume his new post July 1.
"John has been an outstanding leader at Penn State for nearly 21 years, and we will miss him greatly," said Rodney Erickson, executive vice president and provost. "We offer him our congratulations and enthusiastic best wishes for a very successful presidency."
Erickson has appointed Jack Burke, senior associate provost and senior associate dean at Penn State Erie, to serve as interim provost and dean, effective July 1.
Penn State Erie saw dramatic growth under Lilley, where enrollment more than doubled to 3,800, admissions standards rose, and the research scholarship and creative activity of the faculty was notably enhanced. Four schools and professionally accredited programs were developed, the campus was doubled to 750 acres, the 200-acre Knowledge Park was built, and five major academic buildings, five residence halls and an apartment complex were constructed.
Lilley focused Penn State Erie's strategic planning process on meeting the educational, economic and cultural needs of the region. He played a pivotal role in garnering $10 million in state support for Knowledge Park on the campus, enabling millions of dollars of further investment, and another $30 million in a new Research and Economic Development Center building, which was announced in December. Penn State Erie is a leader in continuing and distance education, and currently is participating in an intercollege collaboration to deliver a Penn State MBA through the World Campus.
Lilley received bachelor's and master's degrees from Baylor University. He earned a doctorate from the University of Southern California in 1971 and a certificate from the Harvard Institute for Educational Management in 1978. Before joining Penn State Erie, Lilley was a faculty member and administrator at Kansas State University. He began his academic career at the Claremont Colleges in Southern California.
Lilley becomes the 15th president in the 127-year history of the University of Nevada, Reno. He succeeds Stephen McFarlane, who has served in an interim capacity since Jan. 1, and Joe Crowley, who held the position for 23 years.
More than 13,000 students are enrolled in Nevada's 11 schools and colleges. The university is listed among the highest category of doctoral extensive research institutions according to annual rankings produced by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Annual research and sponsored projects have more than doubled to $87 million annually.
A national search for a permanent replacement for Lilley at Penn State Erie will be launched in the near future.