President chosen for honor by the students of Dana College

Dr. Myrvin Christopherson, president, has been chosen by the student body of Dana College as the 2004–05 Staff Member of the Year.

“ There is nothing I can say that will be as significant as what he means to the students of Dana College,” said Student Senate President Matt Bloomingdale in presenting the award. “Nothing can express our deep gratitude for how his commitment and dedication has affected our lives.

Christopherson is retiring from his role as Dana College president on June 30, after 19 years of service. Christopherson was extremely touched by the presentation of the award.

“ You are the reason we are here,” he said to the students. “You bring a lot of pride to us the way you conduct yourselves. We give thanks to our students in the way you give joy to us.”

Dana’s Staff Member of the Year is chosen by a vote of the entire student body.

Christopherson, 65, came to Dana as President July 1, 1986, from the University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point where he was Associate Dean of Communication and Fine Arts. Prior to that he taught at Purdue University where he received his master’s and doctoral degrees in philosophy and communication, and at the University of Wisconsin – Madison, his first full-time teaching position after the Ph.D. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Dana College in 1961.

Under Christopherson’s leadership Dana has grown from 396 to 622 full-time students. This fall Dana reported its highest enrollment since 1970 when scores of students enrolled to escape the Vietnam draft.
During his presidency, the endowment has grown from about $1 million to more than $12 million today. In total nearly $100 million has been secured in current and deferred gifts for scholarships, endowment, and campus improvements.

Buildings completed include the Margre Henningson Durham Center and Trinity Chapel, the Art addition to the Madsen Fine Arts Center, the Gardner-Hawks Center and the Cooperman Atrium, a new all-weather track, a competition soccer field, football and soccer practice fields, significant upgrades of science and art facilities, and many renovation and beautification projects. During his Presidency Dana has taken a lead in technology enabling Dana to advertise “the most wireless campus in Nebraska.”

Academic programs have also grown under his leadership. He facilitated creation of the annual presidential scholarship competition, the Morton Scholars Program for honors students, new or revised academic programs in accounting, psychology, criminal justice, special education, computer science, graphic design, e-studies, interactive media, and sports management. Sports programs have also grown during the Christopherson administration with the addition of both men’s and women’s soccer and women’s golf.

Christopherson’s leadership at both the state and national level has been extensive. He has served as a past chairman of both the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Nebraska (AICUN), and the Nebraska Independent College Foundation (NICF), and is a past member of the Nebraska Coordinating Commission for Postsecondary Education. He currently serves as Chairman of the Nebraska Educational Finance Authority (NEFA), as Chairman of the Council of Presidents of the Great Plains Athletics Conference (GPAC), and nationally he is Secretary of the Foundation for Independent Higher Education (FIHE). He is also a member of the Board of the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU), and of the Council of Presidents of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA).

He is currently the longest serving president among the 28 colleges and universities of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). He is past president of the ELCA Presidents Council and of the Lutheran Education Conference of America (LECNA), the greater fellowship of Lutheran Colleges in Canada and the United States. Wartburg Theological Seminary awarded Christopherson an honorary doctorate of divinity degree in 1998 to honor his service to the church and higher education.

Higher education accreditation has been among Christopherson’s special interests. For several years he has been a consultant-evaluator and team chair for The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association, the entity responsible for accrediting colleges and universities in a 19-state region. He also served as an officer and board member of the Palmer Chiropractic University with colleges in Davenport, Iowa, Santa Clara, Calif., and Port Orange, Fla. Christopherson is listed in “Who’s Who in America” and “Who’s Who in the World.”

Dana College is a place where all students actively participate. They make things happen — in their own lives and in the lives of others. Through a highly supportive faculty and campus community, Dana students develop interpersonal skills, leadership abilities, and other important values and knowledge as they make choices about their future. Dana’s outstanding academic programs in business, education and social work, among others, ensure that students have the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to pursue challenging careers or placement in graduate school.

Dana College is a private, liberal arts institution in Blair, Neb. To learn more, visit www.dana.edu.

Dana College: Develop talents, Take charge, Build a future — We’re with you all the way.

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For more information contact:
Sarah Cavanah
Communications Coordinator
Dana College
(402) 426-7216
scavanah@dana.edu