PRESS RELEASES

Carroll University Names New President

MACON, GA, November 29, 2016 — After an extensive nationwide search, Carroll University has named Sara Ray Stoelinga as its next president. She will take office in July 2017 and succeed President Douglas Hastad who will retire after leading the University for over a decade. Stoelinga will be the first female to serve in the role of president at Carroll University since its inception in 1846.

“We are proud to welcome Dr. Stoelinga to the Carroll community,” said Jim DeJong ’73, immediate past chair of the Carroll University Board of Trustees and chair of the presidential search committee. “Her passion and enthusiasm for education along with proven leadership ability and strategic thinking skills will enable her to build on the University’s tremendous accomplishments of the past decade and successfully propel Carroll into the future.”

The Board of Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Stoelinga as the fifteenth president of Carroll University. This followed a comprehensive, seven-month search led by a committee comprised of trustees, faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students, and alumni. Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting assisted with the process of cultivating a diverse pool of applicants from across the country.

“I am humbled and honored to join the Carroll University community and to embody the mission of using the liberal arts to prepare all students for lifelong learning, vocational success and service in a diverse and global society. Carroll’s commitment to creating a community that embraces respect, integrity and stewardship is among the most critical levers we have to reduce social inequality and better society for all,” said Stoelinga.

Currently, Stoelinga is the Sara Liston Spurlark Director of the University of Chicago Urban Education Institute (UEI). UEI’s mission is to create knowledge to produce reliably excellent urban schooling, training urban teachers, conducting rigorous applied research, operating the UChicago Charter School, and distributing tools and training to improve schools nationally. During her 22 years at UEI, Stoelinga has worked across UEI’s diverse units, going from intern to director. In her role as director, Dr. Stoelinga leads all aspects of UEI with its 500 employees and $46 million operating budget.

Stoelinga also serves as a clinical professor on the University of Chicago’s Committee on Education. As a faculty member, she advises undergraduate and graduate students and teaches in the University of Chicago Urban Teacher Education Program, the College, and the departments of Public Policy, Sociology and Human Development. She taught one of the University’s first massive open online courses (MOOCs), focused on the history of public education and school reform in the United States. In the spring of 2015 Stoelinga received the Llewellyn John and Harriet Manchester Quantrell Award, the University of Chicago’s most prestigious teaching award and believed to be the nation’s oldest prize for undergraduate teaching. Her depth of knowledge through her work at UEI and experience as a faculty member spans from pre-K students through graduate students. Stoelinga has written and spoken extensively on urban schooling, publishing numerous articles and two books focused on teacher leadership. She received her BA and PhD in sociology from the University of Chicago.

A native of Saint Paul, Minnesota, education played an important role throughout her life. Stoelinga’s father, Joseph Hallman, was a theology professor at the University of St. Thomas while her mother, Janice Ray Hallman, taught high school and became a director of human resources for Saint Paul Public Schools. Stoelinga credits her parents for her path to Carroll University stating, “The values, guidance and inspiration of my parents have had a tremendous influence on my path, both professionally and personally.”

About Myers McRae

Myers McRae Executive Search and Consulting has been providing the highest caliber of service to higher education and not-for-profit organizations for nearly 30 years. The firm employs a thoughtful, thorough approach to assisting clients in identifying, recruiting, and selecting the leaders they need to thrive. Myers McRae officers and senior consultants have had extensive careers in higher education, enabling them to provide knowledgeable counsel throughout the search process.

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