1780 – The Official Blog of Transylvania University

1780 | The Official Blog of Transylvania University

Deana Ison named executive assistant to incoming president

Deana Ison has been named executive assistant to incoming president, R. Owen Williams.   Ison, a 1995 graduate of Transylvania, is currently senior associate director of admissions and has held the positions of admissions counselor, assistant director, associate director and interim director in her 15 years at Transy. In addition, she served as the William T. Young Scholarship coordinator for eight years. “Deana’s new role will touch on many important areas of the university,” said Williams. “She has been very successful in Transylvania’s admissions efforts and will bring her incredible work ethic to my office. She will not only be a great liaison but will contribute to the management and administrative process as well.” “I am honored to have such an incredible opportunity to serve my alma mater and our incoming president,” said Ison, who will officially join the Office of the President August 1, when Williams assumes the presidency. She will continue her role in the admissions office and will work closely with the transition team until that time. Ison is a member of the Kentucky Association of College Admission Counseling, the National Association of College Admission Counseling, the Southern Association of College Admission Counseling and the Southern Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers. She has presented sessions at professional conferences and has served on various panels at high schools across the state regarding college admissions. She was awarded the Les Grigsby Award as Kentucky’s Outstanding Admissions Professional

Transylvania announces new president after in-depth national search

LEXINGTON, Ky.—R. Owen Williams will be the next president of Transylvania University, William T. Young Jr., chairman of Transylvania’s Board of Trustees, announced this afternoon. He will become the 25th president of the 230-year-old liberal arts college when Charles L. Shearer retires on July 31. “Owen Williams was the presidential search committee’s unanimous choice from a sizeable pool of exceptionally qualified candidates,” said Young. “His educational background, his managerial experience, his ability to relate to people of differing backgrounds, his drive, curiosity and enthusiasm, and his dedication to an excellent liberal arts education are all factors that influenced our decision.” Young added that “Charles Shearer is leaving his successor with an exceptionally strong base from which to lead Transylvania to the next level of excellence as a national liberal arts institution.” Shearer said that Williams is an excellent choice and will bring many positive qualities to the university. “I’m confident he will continue to move Transylvania forward,” said Shearer. Williams, 58, earned an A.B. in philosophy from Dartmouth College, an M.A. in intellectual history from Cambridge University, a master’s of law from Yale Law School and a Ph.D. in history, specializing in nineteenth-century American history, from Yale University. “I could not be more honored to become the next president of Transylvania University,” said Williams. “Transylvania is an extraordinary liberal arts college and, as a historian, I am in awe of its rich history.” Williams said that “Charles Shearer has built