Henderson invites public to meet chancellor candidates

The public is invited to meet and visit next week with three candidates who will interview for the position of chancellor at Henderson State University.

Three campus/community receptions will be held in Henderson’s Garrison Center, 1045 McKnight Drive:

• Dr. Jay Gatrell, Sunday, Oct. 24, at 5:30 p.m.

• Dr. Charles Ambrose, Monday, Oct. 25, at 5:30 p.m.

• Dr. Alberto Ruiz, Tuesday, Oct. 26, at 5:30 p.m.

The receptions will provide an informal setting to meet and greet the candidates and their spouses.

Dr. Gatrell has served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Eastern Illinois University since 2017. He was vice provost at Bellarmine University in Kentucky from 2014-2017.

Gatrell received a Bachelor of Science degree in political science at Eastern Michigan University, a Master of Arts degree in geography at The University of Toledo, and a Doctor of Philosophy in geography at West Virginia University.

Dr. Ambrose most recently served as president and CEO of KnowledgeWorks, a national foundation committed to creating the future of learning. He previously served as president of the University of Central Missouri from 2010-2018 and president of Pfeiffer University in North Carolina from 1998-2010.

Ambrose received a Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology at Furman University, a Master of Arts degree in higher education administration at the University of Louisville, and a Doctor of Education in higher education administration at the University of Georgia.

Dr. Ruiz served as vice president for academic affairs at the University of Louisiana at Monroe from 2019-2021. He was dean of Texas A&M University-Kingsville from 2009-2019.

He received a Bachelor of Science in kinesiology at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, a Master of Science in kinesiology at Texas A&M-Kingsville, and a Doctor of Education in physical education at the University of Houston.

Henderson State University is a comprehensive institution of higher education serving the State of Arkansas, particularly the south Arkansas region, and portions of surrounding states with fall 2021 enrollment of 3,342 students. More information about Henderson can be found at https://www.hsu.edu.

The Arkansas State University System, based in Little Rock, serves almost 38,000 students annually on campuses in Arkansas and Queretaro, Mexico, and globally online with an annual budget of $353 million. The ASU System includes Arkansas State University, a four-year Carnegie R2 research institution in Jonesboro with degree centers at ASU-Beebe, ASU-Mountain Home and ASU Mid-South in West Memphis. Arkansas State University Campus Queretaro opened in September 2017. The system's two-year college institutions include ASU-Beebe, with additional campuses in Heber Springs and Searcy and an instructional site at Little Rock Air Force Base; ASU-Newport, with additional campuses in Jonesboro and Marked Tree; ASU-Mountain Home; ASU Mid-South in West Memphis; and ASU Three Rivers (formerly College of the Ouachitas) in Malvern. Henderson State University became the system's second four-year institution member on Feb. 1 under Act 18 of 2021.