Thayne M. McCulloh | |
---|---|
26th President of Gonzaga University | |
Assumed office July 15, 2009 Acting: July 15, 2009 – July 16, 2010 | |
Preceded by | Robert Spitzer |
Personal details | |
Born | Los Angeles,California,U.S. | August 20,1964
Education | Gonzaga University (BA) Wolfson College,Oxford (DPhil) |
Profession | Academic,psychologist,academic administrator |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch/service | United States Army |
Years of service | 1983-1986 Active Army |
Rank | Sergeant |
Unit | Quartermaster Corps |
Thayne Martin McCulloh (born August 20,1964) is an American social psychologist and academic administrator who is currently serving as the 26th President of Gonzaga University in Spokane,Washington. McCulloh was selected as the interim successor of Robert Spitzer,S.J. on July 15,2009. [1] A year later,on July 16,2010,McCulloh was appointed president in his own right. [2]
McCulloh was born in Los Angeles,raised in Claremont,California;Bethesda,Maryland;and Seattle,Washington. [1] He attended Bishop Blanchet High School in Seattle,graduated from John Marshall (Alternative) High School,and enlisted in the United States Army as a food service specialist,primarily with the 5th Infantry Division at Fort Polk,Louisiana. Honorably discharged a sergeant,his military decorations included the Army Commendation Medal and the Army Achievement Medal. Following his discharge,he earned his bachelor's degree in psychology from Gonzaga University in 1989. [2] As a student,he was elected Gonzaga's student body president during his senior year. [2]
In 1989,McCulloh was admitted to study for the Master of Science degree in experimental psychology at Oxford University. [2] A member of Wolfson College,McCulloh conducted research under the supervision of British social psychologists Michael Argyle and Nicholas Emler. His academic advisor was experimental psychologist Donald E. Broadbent. McCulloh's area of research involved evaluating the power of the social context in gender stereotyping. Other faculty and colleagues with whom he worked include well-known psychologist,author and television personality Peter Collett,and British Green Party politician Mike Woodin. As a student,he tutored undergraduates,was a member of the Oxford Union and participated in symposia of the British Psychological Society. In 1998,he was granted the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in experimental social psychology from Oxford University, [2] and elected to membership in the American Psychological Association.
McCulloh joined the staff of Gonzaga University in 1990. He initially worked as a student affairs employee in the residence life department. He taught undergraduate psychology part-time for a number of years while serving in a variety of administrative positions,including dean of student academic services,dean of student financial services,associate academic vice president,and vice president for administration and planning. [2] McCulloh also served as the interim academic vice president from 2007 until becoming interim president in 2009. [2] During his career as an administrator,he worked on a number of projects including development of Gonzaga's first office for students with disabilities,the implementation of an integrated computing information system,building new on-campus housing,chairing the decennial regional accreditation self-study,and the creation of a plan for Gonzaga's future development.
McCulloh was named interim president of the university by Gonzaga's board of trustees on April 17,2009. His appointment was effective on July 15,2009. [1] McCulloh was elevated from interim president to president of Gonzaga by the board of trustees on July 16,2010. [2] His promotion made McCulloh the university's first permanent,non-Jesuit to hold the office in Gonzaga's history. [2]
One of McCulloh's consistent emphases focuses on student success and placing student needs at the center of projects and decision-making. A signature development as president has been instilling the importance of thoughts and prayers whenever any sort of tragedy occurs,no matter the severity.[ citation needed ]
During his tenure,Gonzaga University has undertaken a number of significant capital projects with the goal of significantly improving the student experience as well as improving and expanding the learning environment of the university. Shortly after assuming office (2011),the university constructed a multi-level parking structure;in the summer of 2013 the university began construction of a 168,000 square foot University Center. This project supported by what was then the largest gift in Gonzaga's history. [3] The John J. Hemmingson University Center opened in 2015 and provides a technologically advanced environment reflective of the core components of a distinctly Jesuit education. A LEED Gold certified facility,it prominently features the Center for Global Engagement,reflective of the institution's commitment to international education and study abroad,as well as numerous services to host and support student learning and functions to support student development. The center also hosts the new,primary residential dining facility for the campus. In 2014,Gonzaga announced a significant bequest,which supported construction of the 52,000 s.f. Myrtle Woldson Center for the Performing Arts. [4] Recognizing the importance of healthcare as a vital growth area as well as a local economic development focus,McCulloh has worked to support significant developments,such as the launch of a new School of Nursing and Human Physiology in response to growing demand,as well as the creation of a Spokane medical education partnership with the University of Washington. [5] A new facility to support the UW-Gonzaga Health Partnership was completed and formally opened in September,2022 [6]
In September 2018,Gonzaga University concluded its most ambitious fundraising campaign to date which,when announced in 2015,had a goal of $250 million. The total raised was $355.4 million,of which $110 million was dedicated to fund scholarships for students. [7]
Gonzaga's part in the Catholic sex abuse scandal once again made headlines during McCulloh's term as president,when an investigative report found that priests with histories of sexual abuse had been quietly sent to live in a retirement facility on the university campus,shielding them from public awareness. [8] McCulloh said he had no knowledge of the campus being used to hide abusive priests,and that he understood why some were incredulous that he could have not known. [9] [10] McCulloh established a commission to investigate the university's role and actions, [9] and,in a public letter,said he was horrified by the abuse by priests,and expressed his feelings of "feelings of sadness,disgust and betrayal" upon learning that they had been housed on campus. [11] [12] [13] [14]
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced the immediate closure of all institutions of learning in the United States in March 2020,McCulloh created a task force to guide the short- and long-term response of the university. Gonzaga did not engage in layoffs or furloughs of its personnel,nor did it reduce benefits or salaries. The university-wide planning effort made possible the resumption of in-class instruction for the Fall semester of 2020 at a time when the university was one of few higher education institutions in the state to return to in-person as well as hybrid instruction. [15] Gonzaga also partnered with local health care organizations to provide access to COVID-19 vaccines in early 2021 and assisted in making them more widely available to the Spokane community.
The COVID-19 pandemic briefly interrupted,but did not stop,construction of important new campus improvements,both in Spokane and at the university's site in Florence,Italy. The 82,000 square foot John and Joan Bollier Family Center for Integrated Science and Engineering,which broke ground in September 2019,was completed in Fall 2021. [16]
McCulloh has served in leadership on several non-profit boards and has been recognized for his contributions to the community and to higher education. He serves as a commissioner and is immediate past chair of the Northwest Commission of Colleges and Universities (NWCCU),one of the six institutional accrediting bodies in the United States. He is chair and member of the West Coast Conference athletic league. He served as vice-chairman of the board for the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU). His work with the AJCU has included efforts in support of the Jesuit Worldwide Learning (JWL) project of which he is a Global Advisory Board member;JWL is headquartered in Geneva,Switzerland. He is currently serving a second term as board member for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and is immediate past chair of the Independent Colleges of Washington. In 2009 the Archdiocese of Seattle's Fulcrum Foundation recognized McCulloh as a "Champion of Catholic Education," and in 2013 he received the President's Award from Region V of the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. [17] McCulloh was recognized as one of 24 People of Influence in 2024 by the Spokane Journal of Business. [18]
Dr. McCulloh is married to Julie McCulloh,who also currently works at Gonzaga University.[ citation needed ] The couple has three daughters.
Gonzaga University (GU) is a private Jesuit university in Spokane, Washington. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. Founded in 1887 by Joseph Cataldo, an Italian-born priest and Jesuit missionary, the university is named after the young Jesuit saint Aloysius Gonzaga. The campus houses 105 buildings on 152 acres of grassland alongside the Spokane River, in a residential setting a half-mile (800 m) from downtown Spokane.
Santa Clara University is a private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California. Established in 1851, Santa Clara University is the oldest operating institution of higher learning in California. The university's campus surrounds the historic Mission Santa Clara de Asís which traces its founding to 1777. The campus mirrors the Mission's architectural style and is one of the finest groupings of Mission Revival architecture and other Spanish Colonial Revival styles. The university is classified as a "Doctoral/Professional" university.
The Diocese of Spokane is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Catholic Church in Washington State in the United States. It is a suffragan diocese in the ecclesiastical province of the metropolitan Archdiocese of Seattle.
McCarthey Athletic Center (MAC) is a 6,000-seat indoor arena in the northwest United States, located on the campus of Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Opened in November 2004, it is home to the university's Bulldog basketball programs, members of the West Coast Conference (WCC) in Division I of the NCAA.
The Gonzaga Bulldogs, also known unofficially as the Zags, are the intercollegiate athletic teams representing Gonzaga University, located in Spokane, Washington, United States. Gonzaga competes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I as a member of the West Coast Conference.
Mount Saint Michael is a former Seminary, School, Farm and Retreat for the Jesuit order of the Roman Catholic Church in Spokane, Washington. It was later sold to Congregation of Mary Immaculate Queen (CMRI), a Sedevacantist Catholic religious congregation. Sedevacantists are traditionalist Catholics who do not accept the legitimacy of any pope since John XXIII.
The Washington State Cougars are the athletic teams that represent Washington State University. Located in Pullman, Washington, WSU is a member of the Pac-12 Conference in NCAA Division I. The athletic program comprises ten women's sports and seven men's intercollegiate sports, and also offers various intramural sports.
Gonzaga Preparatory School in Spokane, Washington, is a private, Catholic high school in the Inland Northwest. Colloquially nicknamed "G-Prep", the Jesuit school has been recognized for its college preparation education and community service.
Charlotte Y. Martin Centre is an athletics center in the northwest United States, on the campus of Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Its multi-purpose arena has a seating capacity of 4,000.
William Charles McInnes Jr., S.J. was an American Jesuit and academic.
Whitworth University is a private, Christian university that is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA) and located in Spokane, Washington. Founded in 1890, Whitworth enrolls nearly 2,600 students and offers more than 100 graduate and undergraduate programs.
The Spokane Public Library and Spokane County Library District system provide the Spokane area with access to information and study space. Secondary education is provided by Spokane Public Schools with its six high schools, six middle schools, and thirty-four elementary schools. Public charter, private, and parochial schools offer more choices of study. Higher education in Spokane is served by the Community Colleges of Spokane system and two private universities, Gonzaga University and Whitworth University as well as various trade and technical schools. The University District in Downtown Spokane is also host to branch locations of regional universities such as Washington State University Spokane and its medical school, the Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine.
Joseph Mary Cataldo S.J. was an Italian-American Jesuit priest, a pioneer missionary in the inland Pacific Northwest, who also founded Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.
The WSU Health Sciences Spokane campus, is an urban 48-acre (19 ha), multi-institutional higher education campus in Spokane, Washington. The campus was established in 1990 by the Joint Center for Higher Education (JCHE) and has been owned and operated by Washington State University since 1998. It is located within Spokane's University District just east of Downtown Spokane, along the southern bank of the Spokane River across from Gonzaga University.
The Ralph E. and Helen Higgins Foley Center Library is an academic library at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington.
Thomas Anthony Daly is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He has been serving as bishop of the Diocese of Spokane in Washington State since May 20, 2015. He previously served as an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of San José in California from 2011 to 2015.
Fr. Kenneth Baker, S.J. is a Roman Catholic priest in the Society of Jesus. Besides his pastoral duties as a priest he has served as a professor of theology and a university president. He has also worked to bring the message of the Roman Catholic Church into more forms of communication media, most notably as editor-in-chief in the magazine the Homiletic and Pastoral Review which has been called "one of the most important magazines for priests in the English speaking world".
The Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine is a public medical school headquartered in Spokane, Washington. Founded in 2015, it is part of Washington State University, and is the second public medical school in the state of Washington. It welcomed its inaugural class in the fall of 2017, joining the University of Washington and Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences as one of three medical schools in the state.
The St Aloysius Church is a Catholic parish church in Spokane, Washington, United States of America, located on the grounds of Gonzaga University.
The University District, also referred as the U-District or Spokane University District, is a 770-acre area, tax increment financing, and innovation district in Spokane, Washington. It is located just east of its Downtown Spokane in the East Central and Logan neighborhoods, and is home to a number of higher education institutions and their surrounding neighborhoods.