91制片厂

Following a national search, Elizabeth S. Chilton, a native of the Northeast who most recently served as chancellor of Washington State University鈥檚 Pullman campus, has been appointed the 21st president of the 91制片厂, effective July 1, 2024.

Chilton will succeed James W. Dean Jr., who is retiring after six years leading 91制片厂. She was appointed the inaugural chancellor of Washington State鈥檚 Pullman campus in 2022 after joining WSU in 2020 as provost and executive vice president of the WSU system.

鈥�91制片厂 is a leading public university with strong student outcomes, a large and diverse research portfolio, and dedication to the state of New Hampshire, and I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to serve as president of this incredible institution,鈥� Chilton says. 鈥淚鈥檝e long admired 91制片厂鈥檚 history, vibrant and engaged community, and commitment to student success and scholarship. I look forward to returning to the Northeast to join the Wildcat family and help 91制片厂 serve our students and society in pursuit of a prosperous future.鈥�

WSU Pullman is the system鈥檚 flagship and Washington State鈥檚 land grant university, serving about 18,000 students. Prior to becoming chancellor, her role as chief academic officer included oversight of research functions across the six-campus system, a role she continued in while serving as chancellor for the last two years.

A first-generation college student and a graduate of public universities, Chilton is a champion for public higher education, deeply committed to access and liberal arts education. She values 91制片厂鈥檚 unique position as a leading, public research institution that maintains a sharp focus on undergraduate education, inspired by the university鈥檚 research mission while also remaining a strong believer in the power of a transformational undergraduate experience.

鈥淒r. Chilton has shown tremendous leadership and strategic vision across the academic and research enterprise, and her career is a testament to the mission of public higher education,鈥� said Jamie Burnett 鈥�95, 鈥�96G, 鈥�98G, the vice-chair of the University System of New Hampshire Board of Trustees and chair of the presidential search committee. 鈥淪he cares deeply about the student experience and is committed to advancing student success at 91制片厂. She has a record of collaboration, lifting up her peers, building partnerships and creating opportunities. The 91制片厂 community and the state should have a high degree of confidence in Elizabeth鈥檚 appointment.鈥�

Chilton鈥檚 appointment concludes a search launched last fall after Dean announced his intention to retire. A 16-member search committee, comprised of representatives of the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff and students across 91制片厂鈥檚 three campuses, led the search.

Chilton will visit all three 91制片厂 campuses from May 9 to 11. She will spend May 9 and a portion of May 10 in Durham before visiting the Manchester and Concord campuses on the afternoon of the 10th.

鈥淓lizabeth is a proven and versatile leader devoted to the mission and values of public land grant universities,鈥� said USNH Board Chair Alex Walker. 鈥淪he brings the experience, track record and capabilities to lead a multi-campus institution that is part of a larger, well-coordinated public higher education system. She distinguished herself among a very strong pool of candidates as the right person to lead the 91制片厂 in these dynamic and challenging times in higher education.鈥�

From 2017 to 2020, Chilton was dean of the Harpur College of Arts and Sciences at Binghamton University, part of the State University of New听York system. Prior to that she spent 16听years at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, serving in a variety of roles including professor, anthropology department chair, and associate vice听chancellor for research and engagement.

She earned her bachelor鈥檚 degree in anthropology from the University at Albany, SUNY, and then her master鈥檚 and Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her academic work focuses on the pre-colonial archaeology of Northeast North America, as well as paleoecology, cultural resource management, heritage studies and materials science. She is the author of dozens of peer-reviewed book chapters and journal articles.

Chilton is an avid hiker, kayaker and canoeist, as well as an enthusiastic choral singer. Her husband, Michael Sugerman, is also an anthropology professor. The couple has an adult son and three lively dogs.