Newton, Mass. - The U.S. Department of Education's Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug Prevention today announced that Neil Albert Salonen, president of the University of Bridgeport, has been selected to serve on the Presidents Leadership Group, a body of higher education presidents and chancellors who have declared their commitment to student substance abuse prevention. Higher education officials from 31 campuses representing 22 states have now joined in this effort.
The Presidents Leadership Group (PLG) was originally formed by the Higher Education Center in 1997 with support from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to bring national attention to alcohol and other drug prevention on college and university campuses. That year, the six-member PLG published an alcohol prevention report urging college presidents to become more active leaders on this issue on their campuses and in their surrounding communities.
The expanded PLG will build upon the activities of the original group, with members serving as prevention spokespersons, change agents, and models for other presidents. PLG members will also serve to further statewide and regional alcohol and other drug prevention efforts, with members adopting leadership roles in existing regional initiatives or taking the lead in states where statewide efforts have not yet taken hold.
"Presidential leadership is a critical component of successful prevention efforts on college and university campuses, and of effective partnerships between these institutions and their surrounding communities," states Higher Education Center Director William DeJong. "We are looking forward to seeing these presidents serve as change agents in their campus communities, and also as models for other presidents who are looking to take action."
Twenty-six new PLG members were chosen based on their previous leadership and their plans for future leadership in alcohol and other drug prevention. The rigorous selection process required applicants to submit personal statements, letters of support from people within their institution and their surrounding community, and biennial review reports - a federal reporting requirement under the Drug-Free Schools and Campuses Regulations.
"The life and future of every University of Bridgeport student is important and we are deeply committed to supporting alcohol and other drug prevention efforts both on our campus and in the neighboring community," said Salonen. "I look forward to working in this important effort to bring national attention to the issue and to assist other college and university presidents in addressing it."
The following college and university leaders have been selected to be part of the new PLG:
| Institution |
President/Chancellor |
State |
| Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania |
Jessica Kozloff |
PA |
| California State University, Fresno |
John Welty |
CA |
| California State University System |
Charles B. Reed |
CA |
| Clarkson College |
J. W. Upright |
NE |
| College of Santa Fe |
Linda Hanson |
NM |
| Edgewood College |
James Ebben |
WI |
| Frederick Community College |
Patricia Stanley |
MD |
| Gustavus Adolphus College |
Axel Steuer |
MN |
| Lehigh University |
Gregory Farrington |
PA |
| The Ohio State University |
William Kirwan |
OH |
| SUNY, Potsdam |
John Fallon |
NY |
| San Diego State University |
Stephen Weber |
CA |
| Southeastern Louisiana University |
Randy Moffett |
LA |
| University at Albany, SUNY |
Karen Hitchcock |
NY |
| University of Bridgeport |
Neil Albert Salonen |
CT |
| University of California, Santa Barbara |
Henry Yang |
CA |
| University of Delaware |
David Roselle |
DE |
| University of Kentucky |
Lee Todd |
KY |
| University of Puget Sound |
Susan Pierce |
WA |
| University of Missouri, Rolla |
Gary Thomas |
MO |
| University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg |
Frank Cassell |
PA |
| University of San Diego |
Alice Hayes |
CA |
| University of Wyoming |
Philip Dubois |
WY |
| Weber State University |
Paul Thompson |
UT |
| West Virginia University, Parkersburg |
Erik Bitterbaum |
WV |
| Western Washington University |
Karen Morse |
WA |
| Additionally, the following original PLG members have reaffirmed their commitment to this effort by continuing their membership: |
| Prairie View A&M University |
Charles A. Hines |
TX |
| Tennessee Wesleyan College |
B. James Dawson |
TN |
| University of Iowa |
Mary Sue Coleman |
IA |
| University of Rhode Island |
Robert Carothers |
RI |
| Vanderbilt University |
Gordon Gee |
TN |
The Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Other Drug
Prevention serves as the national resource center for institutions
of higher education concerned with reducing alcohol and
other drug use. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education,
with supplemental funding from The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation,
the Center offers training, technical assistance, publications
and other information to assist those who want to change
the environment in which students make decisions about alcohol
and other drug use. The Higher Education Center is based
at Education Development Center, Inc., a non-profit educational
research and development organization located in Newton,
Mass. For additional information, contact the Higher Education
Center at (800-676-1730) or through the Internet (HigherEdCtr@edc.org).
The Center's Web site is www.edc.org/hec.
