Dr. Ray Wallace, provost and senior vice chancellor at the University of Arkansas - Fort Smith, will assume his new position as chancellor at Indiana University Southeast on July 1.

 

Indiana University Southeast is located in New Albany. As one of eight Indiana University campuses, it offers more than 50 degree programs and concentrations on the scenic 180-acre campus less than 15 minutes from downtown Louisville, Ky.

 

It has an enrollment of more than 6,900 students, both undergraduate and graduate, and employs more than 400 faculty members. About 400 students now live on campus in five fully furnished, lodge-style residence halls. It is the most affordable four-year university in the region and offers significant financial aid to a majority of students.

 

Wallace said he will remember his time at UAFS fondly.

 

“In 2007, Chancellor Paul Beran took a chance on me, and I will always appreciate his mentorship and guidance,” said Wallace. “I have had a golden opportunity here to work with a dynamic and dedicated group of vice chancellors, deans, directors and first-rate faculty and staff as we together helped this fine institution grow in terms of enrollment and prestige.

 

“I am immensely proud of the evolution of this institution, albeit given the small role I played in its overall development,” he added. “I am amazed every day by the degree of community support shown to the University, and UAFS will always hold a special place in my heart.”

 

Chancellor Paul B. Beran acknowledged Wallace’s contributions to UAFS and said he wished him well in this new endeavor.

 

“When I brought Ray Wallace to UAFS, I knew his academic expertise would help move us forward as a regional university,” said Dr. Beran. “He was instrumental in moving UAFS to an institution of first choice for well over 7,000 undergraduate students.”

 

“His collaborative work and steady approach has resulted in significant increases in graduation, more majors and opportunities for students, and into the process to become a master’s granting institution,” said Beran. “He will bring intellectual strength, higher education experience and emotional commitment to his new job. He will be missed, but I know that he will be greatly successful as chancellor.”

 

Prior to joining the UAFS staff in July 2007, Wallace held two Arts and Sciences deanships at Clayton State University in suburban Atlanta and earlier at Troy University in Montgomery, Ala. Previously he served as the director of the Louisiana Scholars College, the state's designated Honors College in the liberal arts and sciences, and as the department head for Languages and Communication at Northwestern State University of Louisiana.

 

He had formerly held faculty positions at the University of Tennessee as the director of the University Writing Center, the director of technical writing in three Governor's Schools for the Sciences and as an assistant professor of English. He previously served as an assistant professor of writing and TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) at the Pacific Rim at the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

 

His post-doctoral experiences include selection into the inaugural class (2009-10) of the Twenty-First Century Leadership Institute for Provosts and Chief Academic Officers, sponsored by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

 

In the summer of 2009 he was a guest of the Japanese government where he served as a member of The Japan Foundation Invitational Program for U.S. Educators. He was also a member of the Class of 2006 at the Institute for Management and Leadership in Higher Education (MLE) at Harvard University. Previously he had traveled to South Africa on a Fulbright Professional and Curriculum Development Award.

 

Wallace, who holds a doctoral degree from Illinois State University, maintains a national reputation as a scholar in the field of teaching writing. He continues to write chapters and essays for scholarly works, has served on various editorial boards for key academic journals, and regularly presents research both nationally and internationally.

 

In addition to his scholarly work, Wallace is also a nature and travel photographer. A native of Northern Ireland, he has taken pictures since he was a child, and his work has been shown in galleries in Europe, Africa and North America. His photography has also been featured in exhibits twice at the Center for Art and Education as well as an exhibit in August 2013 at The Blue Lion at UAFS Downtown, formerly called UAFS at Second Street.

 

Wallace has published five books, which include two award-winning volumes on the teaching of writing, and 30 chapters and articles. He has made more than 40 presentations at national and international conference venues, including South Africa, Ireland, France, Spain, Japan and Australia.