Harrisburg – Dr. James D. Moran III has been named vice chancellor for academic and student affairs of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). The appointment was announced today by PASSHE Chancellor Dr. John C. Cavanaugh.

Dr. Moran joined PASSHE in May 2005 as an associate vice chancellor in the Academic and Student Affairs Division. Since 2006, he has served as senior associate vice chancellor and chief academic officer in the Office of the Chancellor.

The Academic and Student Affairs Division works with the PASSHE universities in the development and approval of new academic programs and provides periodic reviews of existing academic and student support programs. It also oversees a variety of programs involved in teacher preparation and professional development, including the Pennsylvania Academy for the Profession of Teaching and Learning, as well as with student transfer programs, faculty professional development and grants and sponsored programs.

“Dr. Moran has provided extraordinary service to PASSHE, working closely with all of the universities on the development of their academic programs,” Dr. Cavanaugh said. “He will continue to provide leadership in that area to help ensure PASSHE students receive the highest quality education.”

Prior to joining PASSHE, Dr. Moran was assistant vice president for academic affairs for the University of Tennessee System. Previously, he was associate provost for accreditation and state relations at the University of Tennessee, and, before that, was dean of the university’s College of Human Ecology. He began his academic career as an assistant professor in the School of Home Economics at the University of Oklahoma in 1978.

Dr. Moran earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology and history at Duke University. He also holds a master’s degree in psychology from the University of Oklahoma and a Ph.D. in family relations and child development from Oklahoma State University.

He has served on the faculties at the University of Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State University and the University of Tennessee. He was assistant head of the Department of Family and Child Development at Virginia Tech for two years and head of the Department of Family Relations and Child Development at Oklahoma State for four years.

Dr. Moran was associate dean for research and business administration in the University of Tennessee’s College of Human Ecology for nine years and concurrently spent nearly six years as vice president of the University of Tennessee Research Corporation. He was named dean of the College of Human Ecology in July 1998 and held that position until 2002 when he was appointed associate vice provost.

He has published more than 60 articles in professional journals and other publications and has presented his work at regional, national and international meetings and conferences. He has been a consultant to, among others, Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Moran’s promotion will enable Executive Vice Chancellor Dr. Peter H. Garland to enhance his role as PASSHE’s chief operating officer. Dr. Garland previously served as vice chancellor for academic and student affairs before assuming additional duties in the overall operation of the Office of the Chancellor. He oversees all major functional areas in the office; serves as liaison to university presidents and the Board of Governors; leads major System-wide projects, programs, and initiatives; coordinates the efforts of vice chancellors and other executive staff; and leads efforts to integrate planning, accountability, budgeting and operational management to achieve strategic goals.

Now in its 25^th year, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education is the largest provider of higher education in the Commonwealth, with more than 110,000 students. The 14 PASSHE universities offer degree and certificate programs in more than 120 areas of study. Approximately 405,000 PASSHE alumni live and work in Pennsylvania.

The state-owned universities are Bloomsburg, California, Cheyney, Clarion, East Stroudsburg, Edinboro, Indiana, Kutztown, Lock Haven, Mansfield, Millersville, Shippensburg, Slippery Rock and West Chester Universities of Pennsylvania. PASSHE also operates branch campuses in Clearfield, Freeport, Oil City and Punxsutawney and several regional centers, including the Dixon University Center in Harrisburg.