At board meeting held Wednesday morning, the Board of Trustees approved a change in title for Vice President Jim Tressel to Executive Vice President.

In his new role, he will assist the university with its campus wide campaign for student success.

Additional actions made by the board include:

-A change in title for Candace Campbell Jackson to Vice President for Strategic Partnerships and Chief of Staff to the President to better reflect her additional responsibilities for partnerships that currently exist and those to be newly forged with community and civic organizations, foundations, corporations and educational institutions that can enhance the success of our students.

-Rex Ramsier shall assume additional duties as Interim Dean of Summit College to provide leadership following the retirement of Dean Stan Silverman. Ramsier will work with Summit College faculty in completing the process of academic program review and advancing programs to support student success, providing “seamless” transitions for associate’s and bachelor’s degree seeking students, and workplace opportunities for students in career training programs.

-Ajay Mahajan shall assume additional duties to a University-wide commitment to growth and sustainability via innovative and entrepreneurial best practices.  As Associate Vice President for Innovation, in addition to his role as Associate Dean for Research, Mahajan will designate and direct an Innovation Council overseeing teams of faculty and administrators to support key initiatives in academics and support services.

-A one-year contract extension for Director of Athletics Tom Wistrcill was approved.

According to the university website, Jackson joined The University of Akron as the Executive Assistant to President Dr. Luis Proenza in December 2003.

She was promoted to Chief of Staff in 2005, to Vice President and Chief of Staff in 2007 and was now recently promoted to Vice President for Strategic Partnerships and Chief of Staff.

Among other duties, she is primarily responsible for advising the president on organizational and policy decisions; developing, coordinating and implementing presidential initiatives; and managing the staff.

Ramsier served as the vice provost for academic programs and operations and professor of physics and chemistry at The University of Akron.

Prior to his appointment as Vice Provost, Ramsier served the university is a number of positions, including associate provost for academic policies, procedures and reviews; director of the Institute for Teaching and Learning; associate professor of physics, chemistry, and chemical engineering; and assistant professor of physics.

After earning his Ph.D., Ramsier was a senior scientist in stress corrosion cracking and advanced energy conversion at Westinghouse Electric Corporation Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory.

Mahajan served as a professor of mechanical engineering at the Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s Department of Mechanical Engineering and Energy Processes.

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