Schools

Roger Williams University Reveals New President with URI Ties

The former president of Rowan University will begin his term at Roger Williams University in July.

Roger Williams University announced today that a leader with URI ties will take office as the university's new president effective July 1, 2011.

After a comprehensive search initiated in fall 2010, RWU has selected Dr. Donald J. Farish to serve as its 10th president.

According to his resume, Farish earned his bachelor's degree in zoology from the University of British Columbia in 1963, his master's in entemology from North Carolina State University in 1966, and his Ph.D. in biology from Harvard University in 1970. He received his J.D. from the University of Missouri in 1976.

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Farish is not a new face to Rhode Island. He worked at the University of Rhode Island as the Assistant Dean for the College of Arts and Sciences from 1979 to 1981, then moved on to become the Associate Dean for the College of Arts and Sciences from 1981 to 1983. Farish was also an adjunct professor of biology there from 1979 to 1983.

After leaving URI in 1983, Farish went on to work for Sonoma State University in San Francisco for the next 15 years, serving as the Dean of the School of Natural Sciences (1983-1990) and Provost and Academic Vice President (1990-1998). Before being elected as the 10th President of Roger Williams University, Farish was serving as the sixth president of Rowan University (1998-2011) in Glassboro, N.J.

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According to the Rowan University website, Farish helped enact and complete many projects that improved the university. Projects include the construction of a new science hall, a new education hall, and a 113-unit housing complex for students on campus. During his career at Rowan, Farish also worked diligently to bring the community and school closer, a priority that sits very close to the heart of Roger Williams University and the town of Bristol. To read more about Farish's accomplishments at Rowan University, click here.

The Press of Atlantic City reports that Rowan University's board of trustees approved a revised version of Farish's employee agreement in January, allowing him to resign June 30 and receive $600,000. Farish had originally announced in October that he would leave the university in June 2012.

In addition to Roger Williams, he was also a candidate for the president positions at University of Maine and Bowling Green State University.


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