The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education recently named Thomas M. Mitzel, Ph.D., as the next president of Dickinson State University (DSU). Mitzel currently serves as the dean of faculty and vice president of academic affairs for Trinity College in Connecticut, a position he has held since 2013. Prior to his time at Trinity College, Mitzel spent nearly two years as dean of the School of Sciences and interim director of the Wild Basin Creative Research Center at St.
SAF (Southern Aluminum Finishing Co.) recently promoted Matt Welker to account manager. Working in the SAF Atlanta headquarters, Welker is now responsible for SAF sales in the upper Midwest and Southeast, including Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Virginia, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.
The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Board of Directors announced that USGBC’s Chief Operating Officer Mahesh Ramanujam has been named incoming chief executive officer, and will move into the role after Rick Fedrizzi, co-founder of USGBC and current CEO, steps down at the end of 2016. Ramanujam joined USGBC in 2009 as senior vice president of technology before being named COO in September 2011.
Gafcon, a program and construction management firm that provides efficiency and value added services for a wide range of private, public and education projects, announced the promotion of Josh Gaffen to vice president of client development. In this new role, Gaffen will spearhead client acquisition and engagement initiatives for the firm.
Guy Mehula was recently named president of Vanir Construction Management Inc. Mehula brings more than 35 years of experience in the construction industry. He previously headed up the global buildings division at Parsons and later was named president of the company’s Middle East Africa unit. Before that, he was chief facilities executive at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) where he led the second largest school construction program in the nation.
Dr. Alan Walker is the new president of Sierra Nevada College in Incline Village, Nev. Walker brings more than 30 years of experience in higher education to his new role, including eight years as the president of Upper Iowa University.
Award-winning mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineering firm Mueller Associates of Baltimore announced that Steve Gillis, PE, has been named a vice president of the firm. Gillis has been with Mueller Associates since 1988 and has managed many of the firm’s major museum, higher education and corporate design projects.
Global architecture and design firm Perkins+Will recently appointed Jennifer Graham to the firm’s New York office as a senior project manager for the Corporate Interiors team. Graham brings more than 25 years of experience in design management to the role, along with an ability to lead teams on complex projects. As Senior Project Manager, she will manage commercial projects including new developments, interior fitouts and tenant improvements for various project types.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Construction on the UNC Charlotte campus is underway as students prepare to return for school in the fall. Approximately $70 million will be spent on more than a dozen projects throughout the next year.
New York-based architecture firm Francis Cauffman appointed Carol Karasek to principal, science and technology. Karasek is a practice leader with 35 years of experience in the programming, design and delivery of research and clinical facilities. She specializes in the design of academic medical centers that engage in translational research.
