A dynamic and effective leader with 19 years of experience in both public and private higher education has been named president of West Virginia University-Parkersburg.
WVU President David C. Hardesty Jr. announced today (March 15) the appointment of Erik J. Bitterbaum as campus president of WVU -P and regional vice president of WVU . The appointment will become effective July 1.
Dr. Bitterbaum has been vice president for Academic Affairs and professor of biology at Missouri Southern State College since 1994, a four-year public college of about 500 faculty and staff and 5,600 students in Joplin, Mo.
His responsibilities include curriculum development at the baccalaureate and associate degree levels as well as customized training, workforce development and certificate programssimilar to those offered through WVU -Ps Caperton Centerthat meet the needs of the region.
Hardesty says Bitterbaum has all the ingredients of a dynamic and effective leader.
“Dr. Bitterbaum is an energetic, articulate and innovative leader with experience in both the public and private systems of higher education as well as the workforce and community and economic development areas,”Hardesty said.”This experience will be extremely important as we enter a time of higher education reform in West Virginia.”
Bitterbaum is also someone who has been active in the community and can”interpret the college to the community and the community to the college,”Hardesty pointed out.
“I am deeply honored to have been chosen by the Parkersburg college community and President Hardesty and his colleagues to lead WVU -Parkersburg,”Bitterbaum said.”There are many exciting opportunities for students on the WVU -P campus, in the western counties and the region, and I look forward to meeting and working with everyone involved.”
He added,”Part of what attracted me to WVU -Parkersburg was the wide range of academic offerings that help the community develop and growfrom offering tech prep and customized training all the way to masters level work through a cooperative agreement with WVU . I am proud to take over an institution from a gentleman (Dr. Eldon Miller) who had such great vision and wisdom.”
Bitterbaum said he believes good teaching is the hallmark of an institution, and the classroom is the place where”ideas should be vigorously pursued and cooperative learning encouraged.”
He advocates courses that have a”world perspective”so that students improve their understanding of, and respect for, cultural diversity and global interdependence.
Prior to his post at Missouri Southern, Bitterbaum served as vice president for Academic Affairs at Methodist College in Fayetteville, N.C., from 1990-1994; and taught biology, served as assistant provost and then associate provost at Nebraska (Lincoln) Wesleyan University from 1981-1990. He also taught zoology and comparative anatomy at the University of Florida from 1977-1981.
He received bachelors and masters degrees in biology from Occidental College, Los
Angeles, Calif., and his doctorate in zoology from the University of Florida. He did his field work in ornithology in the West Indies, the Caribbean, Mexico and the U.S.
Active in the community, he is a trustee of the United Hebrew Congregation and serves on the board of directors of the American Red Cross and the Joplin Community Concert Series.
He is married to Ellen H. Burton, a college instructor, and the couple has two young children, David and Anna.
Bitterbaum becomes the fifth president of WVU -P, replacing Eldon Miller who will retire in June after 18 years at the Parkersburg campus. Dr. Miller came to WVU -P in April 1982.
WVU -P offers associate degrees, some bachelors degrees, certificate programs and work force development programs through the Caperton Center for Applied Technology.
The college has about 90 full-time faculty, 90 full-time staff and approximately 100 part-time faculty, and enrolls approximately 3,500 students.
Dr. Karen LaRoe, president of the WVU Institute of Technology, led the national search.