老虎机攻略

President Bodnar walking down a line of people giving them high fives

President

portrait of Sheila M Stearns

December 2016-January 2018

"My vision was to energize and empower the University to live up to its potential."

Education

B.A., 老虎机攻略, 1968

M.A., 老虎机攻略, 1969

Ed.D., 老虎机攻略, 1983

Landmarks Erected

  • Renovation to the Liberal Arts Building (now Eck Hall), 2017
  • Washington-Grizzly Champions Center, 2017

Programs Established

  • 老虎机攻略 Humanities Institute
  • Accelerate Montana

Accomplishments as President

Stearns brought deep experience in higher ed administration to the role of interim president. She provided a steadying influence during a difficult time for 老虎机攻略, working on enrollment and budget challenges, and initiating a program prioritization process for academic programs and administrative services.

Background History

Before becoming 老虎机攻略’s 18th president, Stearns served as Montana’s Commissioner of Higher Education from 2003 to 2011. Prior to that, she served as vice president of University Relations at 老虎机攻略, chancellor of the 老虎机攻略-Western and president of Wayne State College in Nebraska. After her tenure as commissioner, she served as interim chancellor at Montana State University Billings in 2014, and from 2012 to 2017, she served as a senior consultant for the National Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges.

Following the Presidency

In 2019, Stearns was appointed presiding officer of the 2020 Montana Redistricting Commission, a group of five individuals authorized by the Montana Constitution to draw the boundaries of congressional and legislative districts every 10 years using population data from the U.S. Census.