Dr. Scott E. Feller Named 17th President of Wabash College
CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind., May 26, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wabash College Board of Trustees has elected Scott Feller, Ph.D., to serve as the 17th President of Wabash College. Dr. Feller, who has served as Dean of the College at Wabash since 2014 and as Professor of Chemistry since 1998, was elected by unanimous vote during the Trustees' meeting May 16, 2020.
"Wabash has been fortunate to have Scott and his wife, Wendy, on our team for over 20 years, and I have personally experienced firsthand the attributes that make Scott the best-qualified person to be our 17th president," said Jay R. Allen '79, Chair of the Board of Trustees.
Dr. Feller replaces Gregory D. Hess, president at Wabash since 2013, who announced his resignation in March.
Dr. Feller spearheaded the College's ongoing efforts to expand its academic footprint, focus on student success, and improve operational effectiveness. Under his leadership and with innovative retention initiatives, the College boasted a record-high four-year graduation rate in 2019. He and Hess secured funding to launch the Wabash Liberal Arts Immersion Program, which dramatically improved the retention and graduation of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.
"I am humbled by the trust the Board has placed in me and look forward to continuing the good work underway at the College," Dr. Feller said. "The beauty of the strategic objectives we laid out seven years ago is they are timeless and exemplify our mission: we focus on the intellectual and personal development and success of each and every Wabash student. I have been excited to be a part of this work and look forward to continuing it as president."
Dr. Feller joined the Wabash faculty in the chemistry department in 1998 after earning his B.A. from Willamette University and his Ph.D. from the University of California-Davis. He received the McLain-McTurnan-Arnold Excellence in Teaching Award in 2009. During his tenure, he has hired or conducted tenure or promotion reviews of over 80 percent of the current Wabash faculty. He led efforts to add majors in Computer Science; Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE); and numerous interdisciplinary minors.
As a physical chemist, Dr. Feller has authored 76 peer-reviewed publications with more than 9,000 citations; has given more than 50 invited scientific lectures; and has mentored at least 15 undergraduates who later earned Ph.D.s. He has won national awards from the Biophysical Society, Eli Lilly/Indiana University, Dreyfus Foundation, Food and Drug Administration, and National Science Foundation.
SOURCE Wabash College
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