Three semifinalists named for Century College presidency

The names of three semifinalists for president of Century College in White Bear Lake have been submitted to James H. McCormick, chancellor of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. The semifinalists are Ronald Anderson, Rassoul Dastmozd and Brad Stewart.

The semifinalists were recommended by a search committee chaired by Larry Lundblad, president of Central Lakes College.

Ronald Anderson is vice president of academic affairs at Century College. Previously, he was vice president of finance and administration at the college; vice president of curriculum, assessment and academic records and vice provost of academic affairs at Capella University; associate vice president of academic and student affairs, dean of academic affairs, associate dean of academic affairs, and director of research and planning at Minneapolis Community and Technical College; research associate for the former Minnesota Community College system; and coordinator of institutional research in the College of Education and statistician and data manager for the Department of Educational Psychology, both at the University of Minnesota. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from St. Olaf College and a master’s degree in higher education and Ph.D. in educational psychology, both from the University of Minnesota.

Rassoul Dastmozd is vice president of instruction at Clark College in Washington. Previously, he served as dean of the applied technologies division at Eastern Iowa Community College District, department chair of expanded programs at Indian Hills Community College in Iowa, and prototype labor coordinator and test engineer at Schott Corp. He holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering technology from Southwest Minnesota State University, a master’s degree in education administration from Drake University in Iowa, and a Ph.D. in education and human resources and community college leadership from Colorado State University.

Brad Stewart is vice president and provost of the Takoma Park/Silver Spring campus of Montgomery College in Maryland. Previously, he was campus executive officer and dean at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha; associate dean for academic advising and special programs at the University of St. Thomas; and an American Council on Education Fellow at Roosevelt University. He was a professor of sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Waukesha, an associate professor of sociology at the University of St. Thomas, and assistant professor of sociology at St. Thomas, Miami University in Ohio and the University of North Dakota. He holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and English from William Penn College in Iowa, and a master’s degree and Ph.D., both in sociology, from Iowa State University.

The new president will replace Larry Litecky, who is retiring. The chancellor, along with one to three members of the Board of Trustees and others, will conduct interviews with the semifinalists. McCormick will make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees, which is expected to act on the recommendation at its April 20 meeting.