by Alexis Barton
Last semester, President Michael Maxey announced that after 35 years of service to the College, he would be retiring in the summer of 2022. The search began for a new candidate that would continue Maxey’s legacy of engaging with students and expanding the success of the college, while also bringing new ideas to the table.
After a thorough search by the Presidential Search Committee, the College’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously to select Frank Shushok Jr. as the 12th president of Roanoke College. Shushok currently serves as the Vice President of Student Affairs at Virginia Tech. His career has been defined by enhancing the student experience as both an administrator and as an associate professor. This quality of caring deeply about the campus community has been a defining factor of President Maxey’s tenure, and something that students noted as a necessary quality in a survey sent out about the search last fall. President Maxey shared that his optimism still holds strong following the selection of Shushok, saying, “What struck me about Frank is how engaging he is and how interested he is in getting to know others. He and Kelly will fit right in at Roanoke College”.
In a meeting with staff and faculty following his selection, Shushok praised the current efforts of the College to create a unique environment for students. “Everywhere at Roanoke College, there are structures and individuals committed to a kind of deep learning that emboldens the human spirit, strengthens public discourse, and becomes a true north for what matters most. I admired this community the moment I discovered it, and I am honored to join the faculty and staff in pursuit of such a worthy calling”.
It is certainly a unique time in the history of the College, with the juncture of navigating post-pandemic life while also welcoming new leadership.
