Dr. Thomas Gibson, Chancellor of UW-Stevens Point
Dr. Thomas Gibson became the 15th Chancellor and first African American to lead the University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point on January 11, 2021. His appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the university. He assumed the position in the middle of a school year in which UW-Stevens Point experienced its first increase in overall student enrollment at its main campus in seven years.
At the time of his appointment, Dr. Gibson had been serving at Bowling Green State University in Ohio since July 2016. His responsibilities there included overseeing the dean of students office; residence life; diversity, equity and inclusion; student health, wellness and recreation; the women’s center, Title IX, and Clery Act reporting; and Greek life. His accomplishments include increasing first-year student retention, increasing support for LGBTQ students by creating a resource center and a multicultural student center.
Prior to joining Bowling Green, Dr. Gibson was association vice president of student affairs at Ball State University in Muncie, IN, and held several roles at York College and City University of New York City. Like nearly half the student population at UW-Stevens Point, Gibson was the first in his family to attend college.
Dr. Gibson earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Eastern Connecticut University; a master’s in education from University of New Haven, CT; and a doctorate in educational leadership in higher education at Johnson and Wales University in Providence, RI.
“Helping students succeed is a top priority for me,” he said. “We will leverage the collective strength of our institution, the engaged teachers and scholars who serve as faculty and staff, in our shared purpose: supporting student success.”
