Seattle Central College names finalists for president
News Release
For immediate release: April 5, 2016
Media Contact:
David Sandler | Director of Communications
(206) 934-5487 | david.sandler@seattlecolleges.edu
A search committee has selected three finalists for Seattle Central College’s next president following a national search that began in December: Cañada College President Lawrence Buckley, Ph.D.; Interim Seattle Central President Sheila Edwards Lange, Ph.D.; and Cuyamaca College Vice President of Instruction Wei Zhou, Ph.D.
The candidates will meet with students, faculty, staff and community stakeholders in April during forums at both the college’s main campus in Capitol Hill and the Seattle Vocational Institute in the Central District. The campus forums are open to the public.
The candidates will also meet with stakeholders at the Seattle Colleges District including the Board of Trustees, the Chancellor’s Executive Cabinet and Chancellor Jill Wakefield. Wakefield is expected to make a final decision in early May.
Buckley has served as the President of Cañada College in Redwood City, Calif., in the Silicon Valley, for the past three and a half years. He has also served on a variety of civic and academic organizations in Hawai’i and California, including the California State Chancellor’s Legislative Task Force and the Association of California Community College Administrator’s Management Development Commission. Prior to his administrative experience, he taught history in community college and university systems in both Hawai’i and California for sixteen years. He holds both a doctorate, a master’s and a bachelor’s
Buckley will visit campus on Friday, April 15. He will attend a forum at the Seattle Vocational Institute from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. in Room 401, and at the Seattle Central main campus from 2:15 3:15 p.m. in Room BE 4106.
Edwards Lange has served as the interim president of Seattle Central College since August 2015. She previously served as the vice president for Minority Affairs and vice provost for Diversity at the University of Washington (UW). She has also taught as an adjunct faculty member at the UW Evans School of Public Affairs. Prior to joining the UW, Edwards Lange worked for the Seattle Colleges District in Education and Planning and for North Seattle College. She has held positions in academic and student services at four-year intuitions in both California and Washington state. She holds a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies and a Master of Public Administration, both from the University of Washington, and a bachelor’s degree in Social Ecology from the University of California, Irvine. Edwards Lange’s full bio can be found here.
Edwards Lange will visit campus on Thursday, April 21. She will attend a forum at the Seattle Vocational Institute from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. in Room 401, and at the Seattle Central main campus from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. in BE 4106
Zhou currently serves as Vice President of Instruction at Cuyamaca College in Southern California, where he previously served as interim president. At Copper Mountain College (CMC), he was vice president for Academic Affairs, and served as academic dean at Evergreen Valley College (EVC). He has also held a variety of teaching, research and administrative positions at both two- and four-year institutions. He received his doctorate from the University of Texas at Austin’s Community College Leadership Program, with an emphasis in student learning and success, equity and diversity and staff and organizational development. Zhou’s full bio can be found here.
Zhou will visit campus on Friday, April 22. He will attend a forum at the Seattle Vocational Institute from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. in Room 401, and at the Seattle Central main campus from 2:15 to 3:15 p.m. in BE 4106
The selected candidate will provide educational and executive leadership for the college, which draws students from a wide geographic area, including a significant international student population. The President reports to the Chancellor of the Seattle Colleges District, which encompasses North Seattle College and South Seattle College, and works as part of a leadership team at the District level.
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About Seattle Central: Chosen by over 16,000 students each year, Seattle Central College offers a comprehensive range of educational programs and opportunities for academic transfer, workplace preparation, basic skills and continuing education in an urban environment. Visit us online at www.seattlecentral.edu.
Part of the Seattle Colleges District