University News
Study Abroad and Outreach Director Interviews Set
March 18, 2015
MACOMB, IL — Three candidates for the director of Western Illinois University's Study Abroad and Outreach will be on campus for interviews in March.
An open session for faculty and staff with Marc Thomas, global education coordinator at Lansing Community College (Lansing, MI), will be held from 11:15 a.m.-noon Wednesday, March 25 in Horrabin Hall 60.
An open session for faculty and staff with Richard MacLean, president, Seattle International (Seattle, WA), will be held from 10 a.m.-10:45 Thursday, March 26 in Horrabin Hall 60.
An open session for faculty and staff with Pedro Bidegaray, international consultant in education and development, will be held from 11:15 a.m.-noon Monday, March 30, in Horrabin Hall 60.
Candidates' Bios
Thomas has served as the global education coordinator at Lansing Community College since 2009. In that role, he is responsible for the college's global learning initiatives and works with the provost and the academic senate to identify, plan and coordinate global learning opportunities for students. He also serves as a social science and humanities professor at Lansing (since 2002) and teaches such courses as introduction to political science, American political systems and Lansing Community College's first year experience course. He also served as the Ingham County (Michigan) commissioner (2002-09) and as a research associate for Public Policy Associates (Lansing, MI) from 2000-02.
Thomas earned his master of education degree in global studies from the University of Illinois in 2012, his master of public administration degree from Western Michigan University in 2000 and his bachelor of management and organizational development from Spring Arbor University in 1997. He is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in educational leadership at Ferris State University (Michigan).
MacLean is currently the president (since 2013) of Seattle International, an international non-profit organization that seeks to build coalitions to bring funded international development projects to the northwest. In this role, he is responsible for development and implementation of the organization's strategic direction, budgeting and operations. He also serves as a member of Kosovo's national higher education preparatory council, for which he has engaged in governmental, community and academic relations. From 2010-13, MacLean served as the president of Charter College (Anchorage, AK); from 1998-2000 he served as an executive director/vice president at Benedictine University (Lisle, IL), and in that role led global strategic planning, international program development, student recruiting and supervised international student services; and from 1997-2010 he was the president/CEO of Global Education Services (Seattle, WA).
MacLean earned his doctorate in educational leadership from Seattle University in 2008. He also completed post-graduate certificates in higher education and assessment and accreditation (2008) and in higher education management (2003) from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education's Institute for Higher Education Management. He earned his master's degree in rhetoric and composition from Western Washington University in 1984 and his bachelor's degree in English literature from Seattle Pacific University in 1978.
Bidegaray currently serves as an international consultant (education and development) for Educate Tanzania (a non-governmental organization based in Minnesota), in which he has supported efforts to develop an academic curriculum for a new agricultural college Karagwe, Tanzania. Prior to that (2011-14) he was the director of international programs, University of Minnesota College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources Sciences. In that role, he was responsible for integrating an international perspective into the mission of the college, with an emphasis on internationalization of curriculum and global development. From 1995-2010, he served as the director international academic programs (2006-10) of Earth University in Costa Rica.
Bidegaray earned his doctorate (1994) and master's (1988) degrees in applied anthropology from the University of Kentucky and his bachelor's degree (1982) in applied anthropology from Pontificia Universidad Católica (Lima, Peru).
Posted By: University Communications (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
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