Friday, March 24, 2017;
Memorial Fieldhouse
TACOMA, Wash. – University of Puget Sound President Isiaah Crawford will be inaugurated as the college’s 14th president on Friday, March 24, in a celebration including a full day of events for campus members, local visitors, and guests from across the country.
Focused on the theme “The Liberal Arts: Leadership for a Changing World,” the day will center on President Crawford’s inauguration speech and a ceremony of investiture, led by board of trustees Chair Robert Pohlad P’07. Crawford was named president-elect in February 2016 and took office on July 1.
The installation ceremony will be held from 2 to 3:30 p.m. in Memorial Fieldhouse, and will be attended by campus members, local dignitaries, community leaders, current university presidents and presidents emeriti, national higher education representatives, corporate and foundation leaders, Puget Sound alumni, parents, and friends of the university. The event will be livestreamed on Puget Sound’s website and on screens at various on-campus locations.
The field house ceremony, as well as a robust series of events including panels, presentations, exhibits, and entertainment, and the evening Jacobsen Series concert, No Passport Required, at 7:30 p.m. in Schneebeck Concert Hall, are all open to the public. Space may be limited at some events. All visitors are asked to RSVP at: pugetsound.edu/inauguration.
The Inauguration Symposium, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., will showcase more than 20 faculty and student presentations and panels, all focused on three broad themes related to leadership for a changing world:
· Education
· Liberal Arts in Partnership
· Justice
Many topics will be covered within these themes, including: local history in the digital age, the art and science of color, reacting to student engagement, community partnerships, media literacy for elementary students, music as environmental activism, reducing homelessness, and other issues. Student creative performances will take place 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Marshall Hall, Wheelock Student Center. In addition Collins Memorial Library, Kittredge Gallery, and Slater Museum of Natural History will invite visitors to special exhibits.
President Crawford, a distinguished scholar, teacher, and college administrator, joined Puget Sound on July 1, 2016, following his appointment through an extensive nationwide search. Since arriving on campus, he has hosted listening sessions to learn more about faculty, staff, and student aspirations; invited community leaders to his home; met with trustees; conducted a regional tour to visit Puget Sound alumni, parents, and friends regionally and around the country; attended meetings of national higher education leaders in Washington, D.C.; and stood with the campus, the community, and his national peers to uphold Puget Sound’s values in the face of evolving national events.
The new president has likewise been given an extremely warm welcome by Tacoma and Pierce County, as evidenced by numerous personal emails, invitations, media interviews, and greetings from local leaders, officials, business people, and the academic community.
Crawford came to Puget Sound following eight years as provost of Seattle University, where he directed the Division of Academic Affairs. Prior to that he served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Loyola University Chicago, where he joined the Department of Psychology faculty in 1987.
Born in Washington, D.C., and reared in St. Louis, Mo., Crawford is a clinical psychologist and a natural leader who rose quickly through the academic ranks. He has served in numerous community and professional roles and has published widely in scholarly journals. Among other honors, he received three national awards from the American Psychological Association.
Crawford currently serves on the board of directors for Independent Colleges of Washington, the Northwest Conference, Providence St. Joseph Health (Renton), and The ROPA Corporation (St. Louis, Mo.). He is a member of the Northwest Committee of the Metropolitan Opera National Council and Seattle Art Museum Education & Community Engagement Committee.
Everyone is welcome. To RSVP and for a program please visit: pugetsound.edu/inauguration
To view a live stream of the inauguration ceremony see: pugetsound.edu/inauguration
Media information and ceremony photos are available by contacting Shirley Skeel, media relations, sskeel@pugetsound.edu; Tel: 253.879.2611; Cell: 510.684.6715
Press photos of President Isiaah Crawford can be downloaded from pugetsound.edu/pressphotos.
Photos on page: From top right: Isiaah Crawford; Memorial Fieldhouse in the new Athletics and Aquatics Center (Ross Mulhausen); Isiaah Crawford meets Kyle Chong '17, chair of the Associated Students of the University of Puget Sound Senate.
For more about President Isiaah Crawford and to see a recording of the event at a later date visit: pugetsound.edu/president
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