UW Education Dean Named President of Vermont College

 

Scott Thomas, the John P. “Jack” Ellbogen Dean of the University of Wyoming’s College of Education, has been named president of Sterling College in Craftsbury Common, Vt., effective July 1.

With the dean’s departure, UW Provost and Executive Vice President Kevin Carman will name an interim dean within the next few days and begin preparations for a national search.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Dean Thomas over the past two years. Although his tenure was brief, the impact of Scott’s leadership will be enduring,” Carman says. “I am committed to assuring that the many impactful programs that he initiated will continue to thrive. Although I hate to see him go, he has an opportunity to fulfill a unique personal and professional goal, and I wish him every success.” 

Thomas has been at UW since July 1, 2021, when he began serving in UW’s first-ever endowed deanship through the John P. Ellbogen Foundation. Some of his most prominent efforts have been focused on addressing Wyoming’s teacher shortage through strengthening teacher preparation and better supporting educators across the arc of their careers.

“While it is bittersweet to bid farewell, I am confident that the College of Education will continue to flourish, guided by its unwavering commitment to excellence in education,” Thomas says. “I am proud of what we have achieved together and look forward to seeing the durable impact the college will continue to have in shaping the future of education in Wyoming and rural areas across the country.”

Before coming to UW, Thomas served as dean of the University of Vermont’s College of Education and Social Services for five years.

Founded in 1958, Sterling College operates as one of only nine colleges and universities recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as a “work college,” where all residential students are required to work as part of their educational experience. The college is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education to offer degrees in environmental studies.