University of New Mexico president joining Wake Forest as provost

By Kevin P. Cox
(336) 758-5237
March 14, 2002

Wake Forest University has appointed William C. Gordon as the university’s new provost. A Wake Forest graduate, Gordon is president of the University of New Mexico.

In his new position, which is effective Sept. 1, Gordon will serve as Wake Forest’s chief academic officer and will be responsible for supervising and administering the academic programs and plans of the university’s Reynolda Campus.

Gordon will report directly to Wake Forest President Thomas K. Hearn Jr. Reporting to Gordon will be the deans of the undergraduate College, the Calloway School of Business and Accountancy, the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, the Babcock Graduate School of Management, the School of Law, and the Divinity School.

"Like so many others, I have always felt that Wake Forest had an enormous impact on my life, and I am extremely grateful to Tom Hearn for giving me the opportunity to return to the campus to play a role in the University's future,” Gordon said.

“Wake Forest is one of those very special universities in our country that has been able to achieve true excellence by remaining true to itself,” Gordon added.

“Because of the unique nature of its exceptional faculty, it has somehow managed to keep in balance the pursuit of scholarly excellence and a genuine devotion to its students. I am looking forward to the coming year with great anticipation."

Gordon’s understanding of Wake Forest’s traditions and mission impressed the university, Wake Forest’s president said.

“Bill Gordon’s long and successful career in higher education, combined with his familiarity with and commitment to the academic goals of Wake Forest, make him an ideal person to serve as provost,” Hearn said.

“In our meetings with Bill, it was apparent that he understands and shares deeply Wake Forest’s dedication to the teacher-scholar ideal,” Hearn added. “He will be a strong advocate for the liberal arts tradition at Wake Forest, while demonstrating his commitment to graduate and professional education.”

Gordon’s appointment was recommended to Hearn by a faculty-staff search committee chaired by senior vice president and English professor Edwin G. Wilson. A former provost of the university, Wilson returned to the administration in 1998 to direct the Council of Deans and oversee academic programs. Meanwhile, counseling professor Samuel T. Gladding has served as associate provost.

Wake Forest vice president and economics professor David G. Brown formerly served as provost from 1990 to 1998.

Gordon, whose career in higher education spans nearly 30 years, received his bachelor of arts degree in psychology at Wake Forest in 1968. He received a master of arts in experimental psychology at Wake Forest in 1970. At Rutgers University in 1973,
Gordon received his doctorate in experimental psychology.

He was a member of the faculty at the State University of New York at Binghamton from 1973 to 1978, where he was associate professor of psychology. Since 1978, he has been at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. At that university, he moved up the ranks from assistant professor to professor and chair of psychology before being named in 1992 as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. From 1993 to 1996, he was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

In 1996, Gordon was appointed provost and vice president for academic affairs, and held that position until being named interim president in 1998. Since 1999, he has served as president of the University of New Mexico.

During his career, Gordon’s research focus has been on learning and memory processes, with an emphasis on complex processing in non-human species. Gordon has written and co-written books, contributed chapters to books, and written numerous articles for scholarly journals. The most recent book co-authored by Gordon is “Learning and Memory,” published in 2001.

In addition to his activities at the University of New Mexico, Gordon has remained heavily involved in community, state and national boards and organizations. He has served on the boards of such groups as the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, the Central New Mexico United Way, Albuquerque Economic Development, the Lobo Energy Corporation, and the Science and Technology Corporation. He has also been a member of the Management Council of the Albuquerque Business-Education Compact, and the Albuquerque Economic Forum.