Paul G. Risser | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 7th Chancellor of theOklahoma State System of Higher Education | |
| In office 2002–2006 | |
| 13th President ofOregon State University | |
| In office 1996–2002 | |
| Preceded by | John V. Byrne |
| Succeeded by | Edward John Ray |
| President ofMiami University | |
| In office 1993–1996 | |
| Preceded by | Paul G. Pearson |
| Succeeded by | James C. Garland |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1939-09-14)September 14, 1939 |
| Died | July 10, 2014(2014-07-10) (aged 74) |
| Alma mater | Grinnell College University of Wisconsin–Madison |
| Profession | educator, ecologist |
Paul Gillan Risser (September 14, 1939 – July 10, 2014) was an American ecologist and academic fromOklahoma. He served as president ofMiami University andOregon State University before becoming chancellor of theOklahoma State System of Higher Education.[1]
Risser was born inBlackwell in north-central Oklahoma on September 14, 1939.[2] He grew up there, graduating fromBlackwell High School.[3] After graduating with a bachelor's degree from Iowa'sGrinnell College in biology in 1961, he then enrolled at theUniversity of Wisconsin inMadison.[1] At Wisconsin he earned a masters in botany in 1965 followed by a PhD. in 1967 in botany and soils.[1]
In 1967, Risser joined the faculty of theUniversity of Oklahoma in Norman, where he remained until 1981.[1] There he was a professor of botany, and later chairman of his department.[4] Risser moved to theUniversity of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in 1981 where he served as Chief of the Illinois Natural History Survey. In 1986 he moved to the University of New Mexico where he was provost and later the vice president for academic affairs.[1] His next post came atMiami University inOxford, Ohio, where he served as president from 1993 to 1996.[1]
In 1996, Risser became the 13th president ofOregon State University inCorvallis, where he remained until 2002.[5] At Oregon State he oversaw construction of the CH2M-Hill Alumni Center, Halsell Hall, and Richardson Hall, as well as an expansion in enrollment andThe Valley Library.[5] The school also added a satellite campus inBend,OSU-Cascades.[2] Risser also led the effort to improve the College of Engineering along with athletics, with the football team recording its first winning season in 28 years during his tenure.[5] He left OSU to become chancellor of theOklahoma State System of Higher Education in his home state, taking office on January 6, 2003 to replace Hans Brisch.[4]
In 2006, he left the chancellor's office.[6] He then served as theSmithsonian National Museum of Natural History's acting director and the executive director of EDGE, Oklahoma's economic development agency.[3] Risser died on July 10, 2014, at the age of 74 in Norman.[7] He was survived by his wife, four sons and two step-daughters.[2]
| Academic offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | President ofMiami University 1993–1996 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | President ofOregon State University 1996–2002 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chancellor of theOklahoma State System of Higher Education 2002–2006 | Succeeded by |
