PERU, Neb. – The Nebraska State College System Board of Trustees introduced Dr. Michael Evans as the new president of Peru State College moments after a unanimous vote on the campus Wednesday.

Chancellor Paul Turman said he met with focus groups on the campus after Dan Hanson announced his intention to retire in October. He said the input from 100 to 150 faculty, staff and community members, helped narrow 74 candidates to four that visited campus last week.

Turman said he was pleased with the response when he offered the job as the 34th college president to Dr. Evans.

 

 

Turman: “It was very refreshing to hear three things: we fell in love with the campus, we fell in love with the community and we fell in love with the region.”

Trustee John Chaney commented about the positive impact of the current administration.

 

 

Chaney: “The amazing number of candidates that were interested, a lot of that has to do with what Dan and Elaine Hanson have done over the last 12 years. Our new president will have big shoes to fill, but also a lot momentum behind him.”


Dr. Evans,  who most recently served as vice president of academic affairs for Southern New Hampshire University, said he is confident in Peru State’s attributes and aware of challenges ahead.

 

Evans: “We all know that higher education is going through a great deal of upheaval right now. The country’s demographics are changing, families are finding it increasingly difficult to pay for college and perceptions about the value of college are changing in serious ways, so Peru State will have to work hard to remain strong, vital and relevant.”

Dr. Evans is a graduate of the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard and earned his PhD researching indigenous communities. He conducted field work in the Canadian arctic and Australian Outback and worked with native American journalists.

Evans: “I’ll spend a lifetime listening and learning about the Peru State culture and its people. We’ll talk about retention – it’s a great way to frame those conversations. Retention is everyone’s job and I would love to hear people’s ideas for how to keep even greater numbers of our students at Peru State. I will also work with the foundation to keep the fundraising program moving forward. I’ll work with marketing and admissions teams to increase awareness of Peru State and position it even more fully as a destination college.”

Chairman Gary Bieganski read from Dr. Evans' introduction letter.

Bieganski: “What Mike said was, ‘a student once asked me what makes a good life. I was impressed by the question and after some consideration, I gave a four-part answer … close relationships with family, friends and colleagues,  a rich understanding of the world around us, a rewarding career that puts our values into action and a purpose that extends beyond our yourself.”

 

Evans said Peru State represents opportunities as a means for generations of students to launch their own good lives.

His wife Joanna was previously project manager in the School of International Engagement at Southern New Hampshire University.

https://www.nscs.edu/news-detail/2021-03-24-evans-psc-president