Andrew Ketsdever, chief academic administrator of Oregon State University – Cascades, was named today to serve as interim vice president of the campus.
Ketsdever will begin his term as interim vice president May 1. He will replace Rebecca “Becky” Johnson, who will begin serving as OSU’s interim president on May 1. The OSU Board of Trustees appointed Johnson to that positon on April 16.
In making the appointment, Edward Feser, OSU provost and executive vice president, engaged in a series of individual and small group conversations with internal and external stakeholders in Bend and Corvallis to discuss the qualifications and characteristics required for OSU-Cascades’ interim vice president.
“Andrew is a valued member of the OSU faculty and the university’s academic leadership,” said Feser. “He is well-qualified for this position and is strongly committed to OSU-Cascades’ continued service to Central Oregonians and the community through excellent teaching and impactful research and engagement.”
Ketsdever has served as dean of academic affairs at OSU-Cascades since June 2020. He is responsible for expanding degree programs, advancing research efforts and leading faculty instruction and research. He also has served on the OSU-Cascades leadership team and holds an appointment as professor in OSU’s School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Manufacturing Engineering in the College of Engineering.
“I am confident that Andrew and the campus leadership team will build on OSU-Cascades’ mission, vision and values in collaboration with the community,” said Johnson.
Ketsdever joined OSU-Cascades in 2018 as associate dean, overseeing degree programs in science, technology and engineering, and leading research and faculty diversity efforts. Prior to joining OSU-Cascades, he was a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, where he served as department chair.
“As OSU-Cascades interim vice president, my goal is to ensure that the momentum we have seen in the growth of the campus continues,” Ketsdever said. “Our students, faculty and staff are well poised to make significant impacts in the community, state and world.”
He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees and a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California, and worked as a civilian for the U.S. Air Force for 20 years, including holding a professorship at the Air Force Academy.
Feser will launch a national search for a permanent vice president for OSU-Cascades. OSU Honors College Dean Toni Doolen will serve as search committee chair, with the committee comprised of members principally from OSU-Cascades and the Bend-area stakeholder community.
About Oregon State University: As one of only two universities in the nation designated as a land, sea, space and sun grant institution, Oregon State serves Oregon and the world by working on today’s most pressing issues. Our more than 33,000 students come from across the globe, and our programs operate in every Oregon county. Oregon State receives more research funding than all of the state’s comprehensive public universities combined. At our campuses in Corvallis and Bend, marine research center in Newport and top-ranked Ecampus online degree programs, we excel at shaping today’s students into tomorrow’s leaders.