INTERVIEW SCHEDULE FOR PROVOST AND SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Five finalists for the position of Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs are scheduled to
hold open forums for the MSUM community. The forums are scheduled as follows and all members of
the MSUM community are invited to attend.
Candidate
Current Position
Date
Time
Location
Dr. Michelle Malott
Interim Provost and Senior VP
for Academic Affairs, MSUM
Dean, College of Liberal Arts
and Sciences, Indiana
University South Bend
Dean, College of Arts, Media
and Communication, MSUM
Dean, College of Liberal Arts,
Winona State University
Former Provost and Vice
Chancellor for Academic and
Student Affairs, University of
Wisconsin Stout
Monday, April 13
3:00-4:00
CB 109
Wednesday, April 15
12:00-1:00
CB 109
Thursday, April 16
8:30-9:30
CB 109
Thursday, April 23
2:30-3:30
CB 109
Thursday, April 30
2:30-3:30
CB 109
Dr. Elizabeth Dunn
Dr. Tim Borchers
Dr. Ralph Townsend
Dr. Joseph Bessie
These forums are an opportunity to learn more about the finalists and to submit comments on their
qualifications to the search committee. The Provost is the chief academic affairs officer, is the secondranking executive officer at Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM), reports directly to the
President, and acts on her behalf in her absence. The Provost provides collaborative leadership and
direction for all academic programs while advancing the strategic goals of Minnesota State University
Moorhead. The Provost supports, initiates, and promotes the University’s commitment to excellence in
teaching, research, and service and includes strong partnerships in community and economic
development.
Candidate Biographies:
Dr. Michelle Malott is currently the Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at
Minnesota State University Moorhead. Dr. Malott served on the faculty in the Biosciences Department
from 2001-2009 and was department chairperson from 2006-2009. She served as Dean of the College of
Social and Natural Sciences from 2009-2013 and the Dean of the College of Science, Health, and the
Environment from 2013-2014. From 2000-2001, Dr. Malott was a visiting assistant professor at the
University of Central Arkansas. Dr. Malott has participated in strategic planning, budget planning, and
strategic enrollment management committees (among many others) at MSUM. Her undergraduate
degree is in Biology from University of Windsor and she earned a Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from
Wright State University.
Dr. Elizabeth Dunn is currently the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Professor of
History at Indiana University South Bend. She was on the history faculty at Bemidji State University
from 1999-2008 and she was the Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Letters at Bemidji from 20082010. From 1994-1999, Dr. Dunn served on the faculty at Baylor University and from 1990-1994 was on
the faculty at Auburn University. Prior to 1990, she served as a visiting lecturer at Eastern Illinois
University and University of Illinois. While at Bemidji State University, Dr. Dunn served as the Faculty
Association President from 2006-2008 and served in other roles with the local and state IFO. She is a
member of a wide variety of boards and has been a reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission. Dr.
Dunn’s undergraduate degree is in History, her master’s degree is in American Studies, and she earned a
Ph.D. in American History from the University of Illinois.
Dr. Tim Borchers is currently the Dean of the College of Arts, Media and Communication at Minnesota
State University Moorhead. Dr. Borchers was on the faculty in Communication Studies, which has
resided in different departments at MSUM. He was department chair of the Communication Studies,
Film Studies and Theatre Arts Department from 2004-2005, Associate Dean for the College of Social and
Natural Sciences and the College of Arts and Humanities from 2005-2007, department chair of the
Communication Studies department from 2007-2008, Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities
from 2008-2010, Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities from 2010-2013. Dr. Borchers’
undergraduate degree is in Speech Communications, his master’s degree is in Communication, and he
earned a Ph.D. in Rhetorical Theory with a minor in Political Science from Wayne State University.
Dr. Ralph Townsend is currently the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Winona State University.
Prior to his position in Winona, he was the Chief Economist for the New Zealand Ministry of Fisheries
from 2007-2010. Dr. Townsend was a professor of economics and department chair at Indiana-Purdue
Fort Wayne from 2006-2007 and was on the economics faculty and a cooperating professor of marine
sciences at the University of Maine from 1984-2006. He has completed several research fellowships,
including CSIRO in Australia, the University of the Philippines, the University of Iceland, and the
National Marine Fisheries Service in Juneau, Alaska. Dr. Townsend earned a Ph.D. in Economics from
the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Dr. Joseph Bessie was the Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs at the
University of Wisconsin-Stout from 2013-2014 and is currently on the faculty at UW-Stout. He was
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at St. Martin’s University from 2009-2013, Vice
President for Academic Affairs at Valley City State University from 2006-2009, Dean of Instruction at
Ridgewater College (MnSCU) from 2000-2006, and the Philosophy Program Coordinator at the
University of Central Oklahoma from 1994-2000. He has also been an active professor during many of
his administrative appointments. He was an adjunct professor at several institutions in Minnesota before
1992, when he joined the faculty at the University of Central Oklahoma in 1988. Dr. Bessie has
bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and Psychology, a master’s of Business Administration and a Ph.D. in
Philosophy from the University of Minnesota. He also has additional graduate coursework in
Management and Economics from the University of Central Oklahoma and St. Cloud State University.