Friday,
January 17, 2003
Lincoln
University President Ivory V. Nelson to be Honored for
Distinguished Leadership Role in Higher Education at Reception
in Washington on January 22
LINCOLN
UNIVERSITY, PA (www.lincoln.edu) -- Lincoln University
President Ivory V. Nelson, Ph.D., who has achieved a national
reputation for his distinguished leadership role in higher
education, will be honored for his exemplary service and
accomplishments during a program and reception on Wednesday,
January 22, 2003, at 6 p.m., in Washington, D.C.
President
Nelson, who has led Lincoln -- America's first Historically
Black University -- since August 1999, will be recognized
for his achievements during the unveiling and reception
for the annual Gallery of Greats Calendar. Sponsored by
the Miller Brewing Company, the event will be held at
the Miller Government Affairs Office at 101 Constitution
Avenue, N.W., in Washington.
For
over 20, the company has produced the Gallery of Greats
calendar in an effort to both acknowledge and honor individuals
who have made a significant impact with the African-American
community. This year, the company is partnering with the
Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund to jointly salute educators.
"The 2003 Gallery of Greats theme, 'Turning Dreams
Into Reality,' aptly reflects what you do everyday for
the thousands of students who walk through your doors,"
Larry Waters, Miller's corporate relations manager, said
in a congratulatory letter to President Nelson. "We
are extremely proud to recognize your accomplishments
through this very special event."
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President Nelson became the 12 president of Lincoln University
on August 15, 1999. Before coming to Lincoln, he had served
as the president of Central Washington University (CWU)
for more than seven years. He was formally inaugurated
as Lincoln's president on April 14, 2000. A trained chemist,
President Nelson is listed among the world's top scientists.
Under President Nelson's leadership, Lincoln University
is being restored as the institution of choice for students
seeking a world-class higher education. For the fall 2002-2003
academic years, Lincoln received a record 4,040 applications
from students seeking admission to the University. It
was the first time in the 149-year history of the University
that Lincoln has received more than 4,000 student applications.
The number of new student applicants represented a 26
percent increase. Currently, Lincoln enrolls approximately
2,000 undergraduate and graduates students.
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Lincoln has secured a comprehensive review of the University’s
organizational and management structures from a leading
marketing and research-consulting firm.
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The Board of Trustees adopted the University’s Statements
of Vision, Mission, Philosophy, and Goals to provide an
institutional framework for all of our current policies
and operational procedures.
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Lincoln has completely eliminated a $1.2 million operating
deficit.
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Lincoln has strengthened its senior management team by
hiring new vice presidents for the University's four administrative
divisions: Academic Affairs; Development and External
Relations; Fiscal Affairs; and Student Affairs and Enrollment
Management.
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Lincoln has implemented a strategic marketing plan to
reposition the University; redesigned its promotional
logos and Web site; and created a new marketing slogan.
President
Nelson has a record of active community and professional
involvement throughout his 30-plus years in higher education.
He is a member of the Oxford (Pa.) Mainstreet, Inc. Board
of Directors; YMCA of the Brandywine Valley Board of Directors;
Regional College and University Presidents Council; and
the NCAA Division III Presidents Council.
He
served on the board of directors of Key Bank of Washington
and was a member of the Washington State Commission on
Student Learning, by gubernatorial appointment. He also
was a member of the Governor's Blue Ribbon Task Force
on the Arts, State of Washington. President Nelson's career
in higher education includes receiving the Fulbright Lectureship,
teaching graduate and undergraduate chemistry, and serving
as department head, assistant dean of academic affairs,
and vice president for research.
President
Nelson has been inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Xi,
Kappa Delta Phi education honor society, Phi Kappa Phi,
and Sigma Phi Sigma physics honor society. He has authored
11 technical publications in the field of analytical chemistry,
a chapter in one book and a chapter in a monograph. He
has secured extensive outside funding through grants and
proposal writing. In addition, he has acquired significant
funding from state legislatures to construct major academic
facilities. His career in the corporate sector includes
assignments as a research chemist for both Union Carbide
and American Oil Company. President Nelson is profiled
in a book entitled, Distinguished African American
Scientists of the 20th Century.
The
Central Washington University Foundation honored President
Nelson by establishing a $50,000 Ivory V. Nelson Endowed
Graduate Fellowship in Chemistry, and the Board of Trustees
of CWU passed a Resolution in August 1999 conferring on
him the title of President Emeritus.
He
graduated magna cum laude from Grambling State University,
in Louisiana, in 1959, with a bachelor's degree in secondary
education, chemistry. He immediately entered the University
of Kansas, Lawrence, where he graduated with the Doctor
of Philosophy degree in analytical chemistry with high
departmental honors.
Founded
in 1854 as America's first Historically Black University,
Lincoln University provides the best elements of a liberal
arts and sciences-based undergraduate core curriculum
and selected graduate programs to meet the needs of students
living in a highly technological and global society.
From
April 2003 through May 2004, the University will celebrate
its sesquicentennial, or 150th anniversary, with an array
of campus and external events, activities, and announcements.
For
more information, visit Lincoln University's Web site
at www.lincoln.edu; also contact Samuel W. Pressley, director,
University Office of Marketing and Communications, 610-932-1094;
e-mail: spressley@lu.lincoln.edu; home: 856-582-9574.
Click
here to see photos from the event.
