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An outstanding university administrator with roots in British Columbiaand extensive experience in the North will be the University ofNorthern British Columbia’s next President.
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Dr. Don Cozzetto, seen here with Dr. Charles Jago at today's announcement.
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Dr. Don Cozzetto was born and raised in Rossland, in southeastern BC,but has spent the last 18 years in the United States. He received hisPhD in Public Policy and Public Administration from VirginiaPolytechnic Institute and State University and has held a number ofacademic and administrative posts at universities in North Dakota,Florida, and South Dakota. He was most recently Provost andVice-President for Academic Affairs at Northern State University inSouth Dakota, where he held the position of Interim President for oneyear. He also has experience with building a new university, serving asDean of the largest faculty when Florida Gulf Coast University openedin Fort Myers, Florida. Dr. Cozzetto has authored 16 articles and bookchapters and has co-authored two books. He is a specialist in publicadministration, human resource management, and aboriginal government.
Prior to his academic career, Dr. Cozzetto worked for nearly ten yearsfor the housing corporations in the Yukon and Northwest Territories andhas visited all of Canada’s communities north
of 60.
“Dr. Cozzetto has extensive experience in strategic planning, communityrelations, fundraising, student recruitment and retention, andbudgeting, and these are all essential for our new President,” says Dr.Don Rix, Chair of the UNBC Board of Governors. “He also has realpassion for British Columbia, for the North, and for what UNBC cancontribute to the province and to the country. The Board hasenthusiastically endorsed his appointment.”
Dr. Cozzetto will take over as President on July 1, 2006. He willreplace Dr. Charles Jago, who will have served as UNBC President foreleven years by the completion of his term.
“I know that I have big shoes to fill. Charles Jago has definitely lefthis mark on UNBC and northern BC and I’m honoured to have been selectedto succeed him,” says Dr. Cozzetto. “There will be so many people tomeet and so many things to learn, but I’m anxious to get to know peoplein the University and the northern region, as well as those manysupporters in communities right around the province.”
Dr. Cozzetto is joining UNBC at a time of growth: both the NorthernSport Centre and the Teaching and Learning Centre will add significantcapacity to UNBC within the next two years, and the expansion of theacademic programming has included Biochemistry and Molecular Biology,Nurse Practitioner, Environmental Engineering, and the Northern MedicalProgram.
“An obvious question at this time in UNBC’s evolution is ‘where do wego from here?’ I’m excited to lead the University toward a sharedvision of excellence, one that fosters a climate of student success,regional partnerships, educational opportunities for aboriginal people,and increased connection to the rest of the world,” says Dr. Cozzetto.“My wife, Pat, and I are eagerly awaiting our move to Prince Georgewith our son, Domenik. I love hockey and I look forward to becoming abig fan of the local teams.”
UNBC was created by the Government of BC in 1990 and its main campus inPrince George opened for full operations in 1994. There are alsoregional campuses in Quesnel, Fort St. John, Terrace, and PrinceRupert. The quality of UNBC’s teaching and research is noted regularlyin provincial and national surveys. For example, UNBC recently placedfourth in the Maclean’s ranking of small Canadian universities and in anational survey of students at 28 Canadian universities, UNBCconsistently placed higher than the national average in categories thatmeasure student satisfaction.
UNBC Presidents
Geoffrey R. Weller 1990 – 1995
K. George Pedersen Summer 1995 (Interim President)
Charles J. Jago 1995-Present
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