Community Invited to Meet Finalists for Academic Affairs VP at Casper College
Casper College is getting closer to choosing its next vice president of academic affairs, and the community will have a chance to meet the finalists in person during a series of open forums next week.
College President Brandon Kosine announced that three candidates have been selected after a nationwide search that attracted 26 applicants. The search committee spent weeks reviewing materials, conducting interviews, and narrowing the field before forwarding the final three candidates.
Each finalist will spend a full day on campus, participating in meetings and interviews. A key part of each visit will be a public candidate presentation and open forum, where employees and community members can hear directly from the candidates and ask questions.
The first candidate to visit campus will be Jennifer "Jen” Oswald, Ed.D., on Monday, March 9. Oswald currently serves as chair of the Division of Education at Northwestern Oklahoma State University, where she has spent more than a decade in academic leadership. Raised in Guymon, Oklahoma, Oswald began her career as a classroom teacher and reading specialist, experiences she says helped shape her student-centered approach to education. She hopes to bring that philosophy to Casper while strengthening faculty collaboration and aligning academic programs with workforce needs.
On Tuesday, March 10, John Shannon, Ph.D., will visit campus. Shannon brings a long résumé in higher education leadership, including roles as faculty member, department chair, academic dean, provost, and even university president. He earned his doctorate from The Ohio State University and says his goal in higher education leadership is to inspire innovation while keeping student success at the forefront.
The final candidate, Kevin Hartshorn, Ph.D., will visit Wednesday, March 11. A mathematician by training, Hartshorn has spent more than 20 years in academic leadership roles at institutions including Central Community College, St. Cloud State University, and Moravian University. He describes his leadership approach as a mix of data-driven decision-making and strong human connections—two ingredients he believes are essential for institutional success.
Each candidate’s public forum will run from 1:30 to 2:20 p.m. in Room 225 of the Robert and Ruth Dove Conference Center inside the Walter H. Nolte Gateway Center on the Casper College campus. The events are open to the public, and community members are encouraged to attend.
For those interested in the future of Casper College, the forums offer a rare chance to see the hiring process in action—and to help shape the direction of the college’s academic leadership.
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