Duane Nellis

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M. Duane Nellis
File:Nellis Wiki.jpg
Nellis in 2013
16th President of
Texas Tech University
In office
June 13, 2013 – January 22, 2016
Preceded by Guy Bailey
Personal details
Spouse(s) Ruthie Nellis
Children 2 sons: Jonathan, Jason
Residence Lubbock, Texas
Alma mater Montana State University,
B.S. 1976
Oregon State University,
M.S. 1977, Ph.D. 1980
Profession Higher Education Administrator and Geographer
Website ttu.edu/administration

M. Duane Nellis is an American educator, and the former president of Texas Tech University. He was previously president of the University of Idaho,[1] provost and senior vice president at Kansas State University, and dean of the Eberly College of Arts and Science at West Virginia University. He announced his resignation from the Texas Tech Presidency on January 8, 2016. The University later announced that Nellis would continue on as a tenured university honors professor at Texas Tech and work on university strategic initiatives.

Early life and education

Nellis graduated from Libby High School in Montana in 1972,[2] and attended Montana State University in Bozeman. He earned a bachelor's degree in earth sciences/geography in 1976 and attended graduate school at Oregon State University in Corvallis, earning a master's in geography in 1977 and a Ph.D. in geography in 1980.[3][4] Nellis wrote his doctoral dissertation on remote sensing in water resource management.[5]

Academic career

After graduate school, Nellis has worked for over 30 years in various progressive administrative roles at Kansas State University, West Virginia University, University of Idaho,[6] and Texas Tech University.[7] At Kansas State University, Nellis was a department head, Associate Dean, and after returning from West Virginia University (where he served as dean of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences), served as provost and Senior Vice President from 2004 until his departure for the university presidency at the University of Idaho in 2009. He became president of Texas Tech University in June 2013. His research has focused on geographic information systems and remote sensing, and he is internationally recognized for his work in this area, including receiving numerous university, national and international teaching, research and advising awards, and serving as president (2002-2003) of the Association of American Geographers,[7] President of the National Council for Geographic Education (1993-1994), and President of Gammma Theta Upsilon, The International Honor Geographical Society (1999-2000).

University of Idaho

While at Idaho (2009-2013), Nellis led a major $225 million capital campaign,[8] oversaw over $80 million in campus facility improvements, created the President’s Diversity Council, enhanced what became a nationally award winning engagement effort through creation of the Office for Community Partnerships, improved major inter-disciplinary initiatives, and significantly improved business partnerships between the university and business and commodity groups in Idaho and throughout the northwest.[9]

While president at the University of Idaho, Nellis was a member of the BCS Presidential Oversight Committee.[10]

As a nationally recognized higher education leader, Nellis has served as a commissioner for the Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities (one of 8 nationally recognized accreditation bodies).[11] He also served as a Governor-appointed commissioner of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, which coordinates higher education efforts for the 15 western states, and has been involved in various national committees for the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU).[12] Since 2014, Nellis has been a trustee of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Texas Tech

Nellis was announced as the sole finalist for the presidency of Texas Tech University on March 1, 2013.[13] According to news reports, he was recruited for the position, and had not applied.[14] On March 22, the Texas Tech Board of Regents unanimously confirmed him as the university's next president, starting June 15.[15]

Since his arrival, Nellis has promoted moving Texas Tech University forward toward higher levels of national prominence as a major public research university. He has advocated for continued quality enrollment growth (including stronger advocacy for national and international student recognition), accelerated research expenditures and faculty recognitions, creating a more engaged institution while promoting industry and community partnerships, with a commitment toward global connections and creativity while seeking external revenue sources to invest in the university enterprise.[16] Under Nellis' leadership, Texas Tech was named in 2014 an APLU Innovation and Economic Prosperity University. Texas Tech also achieved Tier One Carniege Designation for the highest research category at the conclusion of his presidential term.[17]

Following a candidacy for the role of President at the University of Wyoming, during which he expressed frustration about Texas Tech's governance structure, Nellis announced his resignation from the Texas Tech Presidency on January 8, 2016.[18]

Awards and honors

  • Leadership Award, Dialogue Institute
  • Alumni Award of Excellence, University of Idaho
  • Honorary Alumni Award, University of Idaho
  • Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
  • Fellow, Explorers Club, New York City
  • Distinguished Mentor Award, National Council for Geographic Education
  • Fellow, Royal Geographic Society
  • Young Research Scholar Award, Institute of British Geographers
  • Distinguished Alumni Fellow, Oregon State University
  • Distinguished Alumnus Award, Department of Geosciences, Oregon State University
  • Outstanding Teaching Award, Kansas State University
  • University Advisor of the Year Award, Kansas State University
  • Gilbert Grosvenor Geographic Education National Honors, Association of American Geographers
  • John Fraser Hart Award for Excellence in Research, Association of American Geographers
  • Outstanding Contributions Award in Remote Sensing, Association of American Geographers
  • Phi Beta Kappa, Golden Key, Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Xi, Mortar Board, Gamma Theta Upsilon
  • President (2002-2003), Association of American Geographers
  • President (1994), National Council for Geographic Education
  • President, (1999-2000) Gamma Theta Upsilon (International Geographic Honor Society)
  • Mortar Board, Forum Chapter, inducted as member March 2015

Personal life

Nellis met his wife Ruthie as an undergraduate at Montana State. She was from Pennsylvania[19] and became a librarian. As a librarian, she oversaw a science library at Kansas State, and the medical school library at West Virginia University. She also worked in K-State's commercialization initiative, and was project manager on several major library building projects at West Virginia University. Married in 1975, the couple has two sons, Jonathan and Jason.[7]

References

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  3. ↑ https://www.ttu.edu/administration/president/biography.php
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  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Report to the Board of Regents, April 2013 (unpublished).
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External links

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