Interim President Named

Upon President Tom Hochstettler’s departure, the Lewis & Clark Board of Trustees voted unanimously to appoint Jane Atkinson, vice president and provost, as interim president beginning August 1.

“No one knows and understands Lewis & Clark College more thoroughly than Jane,” says Ronald Ragen, chair of the Board of Trustees. “We are incredibly fortunate to have such a trusted and gifted leader stepping up to serve our college while the search for a new president is under way.”

Atkinson, who earned her PhD from Stanford University, joined Lewis & Clark in 1978 as an assistant professor of anthropology. Over the course of her 31-year career at Lewis & Clark, she has held many leadership roles, including chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, director of the Gender Studies Program, dean of social sciences, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and interim dean of the Graduate School of Education and Counseling. Atkinson became vice president and provost in 2000.

“I am honored that the board has placed its trust in me to oversee the college during this time of transition,” Atkinson says. “Lewis & Clark has gained impressive momentum in the last few years and is advancing on many fronts. It will be a pleasure to continue working closely with the leadership at our three schools on a host of significant projects and initiatives as we anticipate the arrival of our new president.”