Florida Southern College Names Dr. Brad Hollingshead As Provost And Vice President For Academic Affairs

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May 03, 2019, 11:01 ET

LAKELAND, Fla., May 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Dr. Brad E. Hollingshead has been appointed by Florida Southern College President Anne Kerr as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. Dr. Hollingshead is currently the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and is a deeply committed leader of the College's mission of preparing students to make a positive and consequential impact on society.

Following the College's national search including consideration of more than 200 applicants, members of the selection committee unanimously recommended Dr. Hollingshead. His appointment begins June 1.

Dr. Brad E. Hollingshead appointed by Florida Southern College President Anne Kerr as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

"Throughout Dr. Hollingshead's distinguished academic career of nearly 30 years, during which he has served as both a faculty member and administrator, he has worked extensively to implement programs that foster collaborative and experiential education through engaged learning strategies," said FSC President Dr. Anne Kerr. "I am privileged to welcome Dr. Hollingshead into his new assignment as Provost for Florida Southern College."

Dr. Hollingshead earned his B.A. in English from Ohio Dominican College and both an M.A. and Ph.D. in English from Duquesne University, where he began teaching on a fellowship in 1989. He took a faculty position at Carlow College in 1995, and in 2000 moved to Medaille College as an Associate Professor. Steadily taking on increasing levels of administrative responsibility, he established himself in a strong leadership role at Medaille.

As chief administrative officer for the School of Arts and Sciences at FSC, Dr. Hollingshead has led important strategic initiatives while providing crucial oversight across 13 academic departments and the ROTC, including curricula for 44 majors and 30 minors serving more than 1,300 students. He also maintains faculty status as a tenured Professor of English and in 2016 was appointed to the Dahl and Lottie Pryor Endowed Chair in English.

Dr. Hollingshead's leadership at FSC has contributed to positive results in a number of important areas:

Increased support for students pursuing prestige scholarships, with two Goldwater Scholarship recipients and eight Fulbright Award recipients in Arts and Sciences
Achievement of accreditation by the American Chemical Society
Expansion of first-year academic programming that has improved retention rates for new students
Enhancement of the recruitment experience, with a 14% increase in enrollment in Arts and Sciences programs since 2014
Creation of the notable Child of the Sun Distinguished Speakers Series, which launched in 2016.

"I am thrilled to have the opportunity to serve as Florida Southern's next provost," Dr. Hollingshead said. "I am in the enviable position of joining a very strong senior leadership team and having the chance to work with faculty and students who are doing some absolutely amazing things. The College is on an excellent strategic trajectory under Dr. Kerr's leadership, and I look forward to helping Florida Southern maintain this momentum and continue to strengthen its commitment to transforming students' lives."

Current Provost, Dr. Kyle Fedler will be stepping back into academia, joining FSC's Department of Religion and Philosophy as professor of Religion and Philosophy.

About Florida Southern College

Founded in 1883, Florida Southern College is the oldest private college in Florida. The College maintains its commitment to academic excellence through 70+ undergraduate programs and distinctive graduate programs in business administration, education, and nursing. Florida Southern has a 15:1 student-to-faculty ratio; is an award-winning national leader in engaged learning; and boasts 30 NCAA Division II national championships. It is ranked among the Top 20 Regional Universities in the South by U.S. News and World Report; named a Top Baccalaureate College by Washington Monthly; and included in The Princeton Review's 384 Best Colleges, The Fiske Guide to Colleges 2018, and Forbes magazine's America's Top Colleges Guide. The College is committed to the development of the whole student through vibrant student life programs that prepare graduates to make a positive, consequential impact on society. FSC is conveniently located within an hour's drive of both Orlando and Tampa. FSC is home to the world's largest single-site collection of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2012. Named the "Most Beautiful Campus in the Nation" for two consecutive years by The Princeton Review and one of the nation's "Ten College Campuses with the Best Architecture" by Architectural Digest, Florida Southern is an internationally-recognized place of beauty and academic excellence.

SOURCE Florida Southern College