John Shannon, Ph.D., has been named the 17th president of Trine University, effective June 1, 2023.
Rick L. James, chair of the university’s board of trustees, made the announcement
today following a board search to replace Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D., who is retiring
after an illustrious 23-year tenure as Trine president. In a related move, James
also announced that Dr. Brooks will remain involved with the university after retiring
the presidency, and will serve in the newly created role of university chancellor.
“The board is thrilled that we had an internal candidate with Dr. Shannon’s skills
and expertise available to take on the monumental task of following Dr. Brooks,” said
James. “Dr. Brooks created a culture of excellence at Trine as he transformed this
university, and it was absolutely essential to the board that his successor be someone
who understands and appreciates this culture. Dr. Shannon has been a key contributor
to our recent success, but most important, he truly understands what makes Trine University
so unique.”
“I am thrilled and honored to be named president of this great university,” said Dr.
Shannon. “Following the tremendous success of Dr. Brooks is certainly a challenge,
but I assume this role knowing this university has never been stronger, both academically
and financially. We have a very bright future and I, like Dr. Brooks before me, will
continue to draw upon the great expertise and counsel of board chair James and all
members of the Trine board to make sure we do everything we can to provide the best
possible academic experience and to continue to positively serve the communities in
which we operate.”
Dr. Shannon currently serves as Trine provost and senior vice president. The position
was created last year to provide additional leadership resources to accommodate growing
enrollment and expanded academic offerings, and to enable the university to fully
explore and embrace exciting opportunities. At the time of his appointment, Dr. Brooks
commented, “John has been largely responsible for developing and launching the exciting
new academic programs that have fueled our recent enrollment growth. This includes
laying the groundwork for a robust expansion of programs at our College of Health
Professions, based in Fort Wayne. He has also played a very significant role in the
recent success we have had attracting international graduate students, which has also
been vital to our recent growth.”
Before being named provost, Dr. Shannon served two stints as vice president for academic
affairs at Trine, first from 2012 to 2015, and returning in 2018 after leading academics
at the Indiana Institute of Technology in the interim. Prior to serving as Trine’s
vice president for academic affairs, he was dean and professor in the university’s
Jannen School of Arts and Sciences for five years. He came to Trine in 2007 with
extensive experience in foreign language and international education, having previously
served as dean and professor at the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center
in California and chair and director of the American University of Sharjah in the
United Arab Emirates. His career also includes serving with the U.S. Army in the former
West Germany and as a Peace Corps volunteer
teaching special education in Tunisia. He holds a Ph.D. in foreign and second language
from The Ohio State University, a Master of Arts in applied linguistics from Southern
Illinois University at Carbondale and a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from the State
University of New York at Plattsburgh.
Dr. Brooks will be the university’s chancellor
In his new role as chancellor, Dr. Brooks will continue to serve the university in
a variety of ways, including fundraising, providing oversight of the development of
Trine Fort Wayne, which will house the College of Health Sciences, and providing additional
support and counsel to the Trine board and incoming President Shannon. “We are indeed
fortunate that Dr. Brooks will continue his association with this university, and
that we will all be able to draw on the experience he developed in rebuilding this
university over the past 23 years,” said board chair James.
“I am very excited about being able to contribute to the university, even in retirement,”
said Dr. Brooks. “Collectively, we have accomplished so much over the past two decades,
and I am honored to continue to be part of this tremendous institution.”
Dr. Shannon is committed to the Angola community and looks forward to working with
Trine faculty and staff
Dr. Shannon and his family are active members of the Trine community. His wife Grace
is a registered nurse who also manages the couples’ rental properties. The family
includes three children, adult daughter Nora and 16-year-old twins Aidan and Anya;
along with three grandchildren, Leila, Dounia, and Maysa. According to Dr. Shannon,
“Away from work, our lives revolve around family. We really enjoy traveling, camping,
and just spending time at home together.”
As he prepares for the transition in May, Dr. Shannon is especially eager to work
with Trine University faculty and staff to ensure that the university continues on
its current trajectory of success. “At heart, I’m a college professor,” he said.
“I get tremendous satisfaction from making sure that our faculty are fully equipped
to meet the changing needs of our students and the organizations and companies that
employ them. Higher education is changing rapidly, but we are well-positioned to
be a leader in this change. These are exciting times.”