February 11, 2002

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Suzanne Ernst (702) 889-8426

ELKO, Nevada - After two days of interviews with four candidates for presidency of Great Basin College, a Nevada Board of Regents committee selected Dr. Paul Killpatrick of Oregon as their top candidate.

The Regents' ad hoc Great Basin College Presidential Search Committee met February 8-9 to provide campus tours for the candidates as well as conduct formal interviews. When the committee reconvened on February 9, it unanimously selected Killpatrick as the candidate to bring before the Board of Regents for formal approval at its March 6-7 meeting in Reno.

"It was an unanimous vote by both the advisory committee and Regents' committee," said Regent Dorothy Gallagher, search committee chair. "We had some very strong candidates, but we felt Dr. Killpatrick was the right fit for Great Basin College at this time."

Dr. Paul Killpatrick currently serves as vice president of instructional support and community development at Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Ore., where he also held the position of vice president of instruction. At Yakima Valley Community College in Yakima, Wash., Dr. Killpatrick served as dean for professional and career education and dean for instructional support and special populations. Dr. Killpatrick holds a Ph.D. in postsecondary education from Oregon State University in Corvallis, Ore.

Carl Diekhans is currently serving as interim president of Great Basin College. Dr. Ron Remington, who had served as president for 12 years, left the position in July to take the helm of Community College of Southern Nevada.

In addition to Gallagher, members of the Board committee include Mark Alden, Thalia Dondero, Douglas Roman Hill and Howard Rosenberg. A 19-member, advisory committee comprising faculty, staff, student and community members also played a critical role in the selection process. The advisory committee votes and presents their decision to the Regents' committee for consideration.

The Nevada Board of Regents (www.nevada.edu) is the elected, 11-member governing body for the University and Community College System of Nevada. Comprising two doctoral granting universities, a state college, four comprehensive community colleges and one internationally acclaimed research institute, the UCCSN serves the educational and job training needs of the nation's fastest growing state. As Nevada's only system of higher education, the UCCSN provides educational opportunities to nearly 100,000 students.

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