Contact:
Julia Kent
jkent@cgs.nche.edu
(202) 223-3791

Washington, DC – The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) Board of Directors has announced its officers for the 2013 term. The new board was seated at the 52nd Annual Meeting, December 5, 2012 in Washington, DC.

Dr. Robert Augustine, Dean of the Graduate School, Research and International Programs at Eastern Illinois University (EIU), became the 2013 CGS Board Chair. Dr. Augustine has served as the graduate dean at EIU since 2000. His achievements in this role include the establishment of criteria for assessing the quality of graduate programs and applying these criteria to increase program quality, enhance enrollments, develop new degree programs, and link funding to program quality. Additional accomplishments include the creation of the first graduate fellowships at EIU funded through alumni philanthropy, the creation of new assistantships in almost every graduate program, and the guarantee of yearly stipend increases for graduate assistants. Dr. Augustine earned his PhD from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and his B.S.E and M.S degrees from Illinois State University in communication sciences and disorders.

“In his role as graduate dean, Dr. Augustine has demonstrated extraordinary leadership and innovation in graduate education,” said CGS President Debra W. Stewart, “particularly in the areas of master’s education and promoting diversity.  We are honored that he will serve as the 2013 CGS board chair.”

The new Chair-elect is James Wimbush, Dean of The University Graduate School and Professor of Business Administration at Indiana University (IU). Prior to his appointment as dean in 2006, Dr. Wimbush served in multiple administrative positions including Chair of the Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, Chair of Doctoral Programs in Business, Chair of the Kelley MBA Program, and Associate Dean of the Faculties for the Bloomington campus. Dr. Wimbush is an acknowledged national authority on business ethics as they relate to human resource practices.

Beginning three-year terms on the board are Nancy Marcus of Florida State University, Steven Matson of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and John Stevenson of the University of Colorado, Boulder. George Justice, the University of Missouri, and Allison Sekuler, McMaster University, will serve one-year terms on the board.

CGS is governed by a 12-member Board of Directors drawn from member institutions. Board members serve for set terms. Lisa Tedesco of Emory University will remain on CGS’s Executive Committee for one year as immediate past chair.