December 1, 2005 Source: University of Northern British Columbia:
http://www.unbc.ca/releases/2005/12_01cozzetto.html UNBC Names New President An outstanding university administrator with roots in British Columbia and extensive experience in the North will be the University of Northern British Columbia’s next President. Dr. Don Cozzetto was born and raised in Rossland, in southeastern BC, but has spent the last 18 years in the United States. He received his PhD in Public Policy and Public Administration from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and has held a number of academic and administrative posts at universities in North Dakota, Florida, and South Dakota. He was most recently Provost and Vice-President for Academic Affairs at Northern State University in South Dakota, where he held the position of Interim President for one year. He also has experience with building a new university, serving as Dean of the largest faculty when Florida Gulf Coast University opened in Fort Myers, Florida. Dr. Cozzetto has authored 16 articles and book chapters and has co-authored two books. He is a specialist in public administration, human resource management, and aboriginal government. Prior to his academic career, Dr. Cozzetto worked for nearly ten years for the housing corporations in the Yukon and Northwest Territories and has visited all of Canada’s communities north
of 60. "Dr. Cozzetto has extensive experience in strategic planning, community relations, fundraising, student recruitment and retention, and budgeting, and these are all essential for our new President," says Dr. Don Rix, Chair of the UNBC Board of Governors. "He also has real passion for British Columbia, for the North, and for what UNBC can contribute to the province and to the country. The Board has enthusiastically endorsed his appointment." Dr. Cozzetto will take over as President on July 1, 2006. He will replace Dr. Charles Jago, who will have served as UNBC President for eleven years by the completion of his term. "I know that I have big shoes to fill. Charles Jago has definitely left his mark on UNBC and northern BC and I’m honoured to have been selected to succeed him," says Dr. Cozzetto. "There will be so many people to meet and so many things to learn, but I’m anxious to get to know people in the University and the northern region, as well as those many supporters in communities right around the province." Dr. Cozzetto is joining UNBC at a time of growth: both the Northern Sport Centre and the Teaching and Learning Centre will add significant capacity to UNBC within the next two years, and the expansion of the academic programming has included Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Nurse Practitioner, Environmental Engineering, and the Northern Medical Program. "An obvious question at this time in UNBC’s evolution is ‘where do we go from here?’ I’m excited to lead the University toward a shared vision of excellence, one that fosters a climate of student success, regional partnerships, educational opportunities for aboriginal people, and increased connection to the rest of the world," says Dr. Cozzetto. "My wife, Pat, and I are eagerly awaiting our move to Prince George with our son, Domenik. I love hockey and I look forward to becoming a big fan of the local teams." UNBC was created by the Government of BC in 1990 and its main campus in Prince George opened for full operations in 1994. There are also regional campuses in Quesnel, Fort St. John, Terrace, and Prince Rupert. The quality of UNBC’s teaching and research is noted regularly in provincial and national surveys. For example, UNBC recently placed fourth in the Maclean’s ranking of small Canadian universities and in a national survey of students at 28 Canadian universities, UNBC consistently placed higher than the national average in categories that measure student satisfaction. UNBC Presidents Geoffrey R. Weller 1990 – 1995
K. George Pedersen Summer 1995 (Interim President)
Charles J. Jago 1995-Present Contact:
Rob van Adrichem, Director of Media and Public Relations, UNBC - 250.960.5622
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