Trine University inaugurates Dr. John Shannon as 17th president

In a ceremony that highlighted relationships with the community, employees, students and even family, Trine University inaugurated a new president for only the 17^th time in its 139-year history.

John Shannon, Ph.D., who took office June 1, was officially installed Saturday, Oct. 7, in the T. Furth Center for Performing Arts.

In addition to Dr. Shannon, the crowd of several hundred people in attendance heard from local government and representatives of Trine faculty, staff, students and the Board of Trustees.

They even heard instrumental music by Dr. Shannon’s children, Anya and Aidan, and some of their Angola High School classmates, performing in honor of Dr. Shannon’s new role.

City, faculty and staff

Richard Hickman, mayor of the City of Angola, thanked Dr. Shannon “for stepping in and taking over this role for this prestigious institution.”

He praised the university for working together with the city over the last 20 years to improve both Trine and Angola through efforts like the Thunder Ice Arena, MTI Center and the Associate of Science in Nursing program, launched in cooperation with Cameron Memorial Community Hospital.

“The City of Angola and Trine University will each have our own unique challenges because that's just the nature of what we do,” he said. “But at the same time, I believe that we will meet those challenges because I truly believe we are standing at the threshold of boundless opportunities and possibilities.  … Together, we can harness the power of education and create a vision of hope.”

Representing Trine University staff, David Colbert, assistant vice president for international services and global partnerships, said “Dr. Shannon is a great fit to lead us at Trine University, because I know that no one will work harder than he will to move us forward and to new heights.”

“John Shannon has a habit of going the extra mile, in everything that he does, throughout his entire career, a remarkable career and a career that has been devoted to success, leadership and service, which is part of our mission statement here at Trine,” he said.

Sarah Franzen, Ph.D., former dean of the Jannen School of Arts and Sciences and former associate professor in the Department of Humanities and Communication, spoke on behalf of Trine faculty.

She recounted a story Dr. Shannon had told her about working in Tunisia with children who had profound mental disabilities while he served with the Peace Corps. One young boy, who was nonverbal and diagnosed with autism and psychosis, never spoke, but Dr. Shannon continued to work with the child without knowing if his efforts had any impact.

Returning about 10 years later to visit former colleagues, he was greeted by the now-teenager calling out his name.  

“I am grateful that the man charged with leading this institution into the future understands at his core the transformative work that happens in the classrooms that is the beating heart of any school, no matter the level,” she said.

Alumni and students

Sallie Raftery, president of the Trine University Alumni Association, said university graduates are already enthused by Dr. Shannon’s presidency, noting that “Trine alumni will always rally around leadership that understands the importance of enhancing the value of our hard-earned academic degrees.”

“We support the efforts to strengthen already solid relationships with business and industry,” she said. “We applaud the work being done to raise the profile of the institution and better equip students for a challenging future. You have already demonstrated in your past Trine leadership positions that you understand and embrace these initiatives.”

Kennedy Jester, president of Trine University’s Student Government Association, praised Dr. Shannon for his engagement with the student body, including activities such as the Campus Activity Fair and Bingo for Bucks, as well as hosting discussions with smaller groups of students.

“In the short duration of his term thus far, he has given incredible leadership advice to all students, myself included, and it has been a privilege to learn about his life story,” she said.

Emmanuel Megnanglo, a senior on the Trine University basketball team from the country of Benin, said he looks forward to the “opportunities and growth that lie ahead under the guidance of our new president.”

“Thank you so much, not only for taking the mantle of president, but also for carrying the torch that will ensure our university’s future will be as bright as its history,” he said.

Installation and investiture

As he prepared to officially install Dr. Shannon as president, Dr. Rick L. James, chair of Trine University’s Board of Trustees, said the Board was comforted in knowing that Dr. Shannon’s skills and expertise were available after Trine’s 16^th president, Earl D. Brooks II, Ph.D., informed them of his plans to retire.

“Over the past quarter century, we have, together, created a culture of excellence at Trine as we transformed this university,” Dr. James said. “It was absolutely essential to the Board that our next president be someone who understands and appreciates this culture. Dr. Shannon has been a key contributor to our recent success, but most importantly, he truly understands what makes Trine University so unique.”

“John accepted our offer of this presidency with great enthusiasm because he recognizes that there is no college or university better suited to serve our students. He also knows our mandate reaches beyond that. He understands that this university also plays a critical role in the development of our community, our state, and even our nation.”

Dr. James then placed the medallion signifying Dr. Shannon’s investiture as president around Dr. Shannon’s neck.

Inaugural address

After welcoming the different groups in attendance, Dr. Shannon began his inaugural address by thanking his predecessor, Dr. Brooks.

“His accomplishments were many and his legacy astounding,” Dr. Shannon said. “In addition to positioning Trine University for continued success, he served as my mentor, preparing me for the responsibilities ahead.”

He said the university is in an excellent position, with a record incoming class and record enrollment on the Angola campus as well as record overall total enrollment exceeding 13,000 students.

However, he addressed two upcoming challenges Trine University will face. The first, he said, is the dropping birth rate since the Great Recession of 2008, combined with a lower number of high school graduates in Indiana attending college.

“That means putting our energy, focus and attention squarely on the issue of enrollment, and doing so by thinking outside of the box. being innovative and dynamic, and doing things in the right way,” he said.

He said the university will need to find novel solutions that may include increased workforce development programs and increased partnerships with industry.

The second challenge he addressed is the perception that the return on investment for higher education is low.

While acknowledging that attending college can be expensive, Dr. Shannon cited data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics stating there is a strong positive correlation between educational attainment and income.

“Not only do highly educated people earn far more and have more career stability than their less-educated peers, they also tend to have a higher standard of living, are healthier, live longer, save more money for retirement, are more likely to vote and volunteer their time, and are more philanthropic,” he said. “The return on investment in higher education in terms of quality of life is substantial, and we should be shouting that from the rooftops.”

He said the university will continue to engage with key stakeholders including trustees, employees, alumni, donors, university partners and friends, industry leaders, the community and, most importantly, with students.

“Our engagement with students includes being highly interactive inside the classroom, accessible to students outside of it and caring about students and their learning at all times,” he said. “The result is that we get to know our students. … And in the process of getting to know our students, we help them develop as learners and grow as people, which is our primary goal as a university.”

In closing, he shared a quote from Father Theodore Hesburgh, former president of the University of Notre Dame, who said, “The leader’s task is to realize the vision in its totality. His or her reward is to see that happen.”

“As president of Trine University, I greatly look forward to seeing all of the outstanding ways our Trine family makes our vision a reality,” he said.