Academic Advancements

Shannon promoted to vice president for academic affairs

ANGOLA, Ind. – Trine University has promoted John Shannon, Ph.D., to vice president for academic affairs, officials announced today.

Shannon has been at Trine since 2007, serving as dean of the Jannen School of Arts and Sciences. He has served as interim vice president for academic affairs since late 2011.

“Dr. Shannon brings a wealth of academic and multicultural experiences to the administration at this university,” said Trine president Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D. “He has provided outstanding leadership, communication and management to the academic community since his appointment as interim vice president in January.”

Before coming to Trine, Shannon served as dean at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center in Monterey, Calif., where he led a staff of 130 faculty members and managed a multi-million dollar annual budget. In addition, he provided strategic planning and direction, offered multiple professional development opportunities for faculty and shifted instruction to have a more student-centered focus.

“He has garnered tremendous respect among his colleagues and is well known for his ability to effectively communicate and direct the work of academics at Trine,” Brooks said.

Shannon’s academic leadership experiences also include working as the director of the Intensive English Program at the American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, where he lived with his family for seven years. Although his focus has been in academic administration, he still maintains an active research agenda by publishing and regularly presenting at professional conferences.

Shannon loves any opportunity to travel. As an undergraduate he studied at the Universitat Tubingen in West Germany. He then spent two years in the Peace Corps, teaching academic and social skills in Arabic to special-needs children in Tunisia. Upon his return to the United States, he earned a master’s degree in applied linguistics from Southern Illinois University. He earned his doctorate in foreign and second language education from The Ohio State University. 

“I am honored to be selected for the role of continuing Trine’s tradition of excellent and rigorous academic programming. By collaborating with faculty and staff, I hope to create meaningful academic experiences for our students and faculty at Trine,” Shannon said. “By enhancing the quality of education at Trine, we will more fully engage our students and our faculty, creating a more innovative and dynamic learning environment for all.”

 

To share your news, contact Trine University communication specialist Lindsay Winslow Brown at winslowbrownl@trine.edu.