Roanoke College names Frank Shushok, Jr. as its 12th president.
Frank Shushok, Jr., who has worked for 30 years in higher education and has been vice president for student affairs at Virginia Tech, is the 12th president of Roanoke College. Shushok replaces the retiring Mike Maxey, the enormously popular president for the past 15 years.
Maxey will retire in July after more than 37 years at the college. His administration was defined by expansion, diversity and emphasis on experiential learning.
Shushok has been at Tech for 13 years and he has moved up the ladder in various vice presidential posts. He is a tenured associate professor of Agricultural Leadership and Community Education at Tech.
Malon Courts, chairman of the RC Board of Trustees, which made the appointment (voting unanimously on the selection), says, “Throughout the presidential search, Dr. Shushok inspired us with his spirit, energy and centered dedication to student learning. Dr. Shushok’s background aligns with the most important needs of the College, and he understands the value of who we are, our culture, people and traditions, including the importance of our rich Lutheran heritage. He will propel us forward, embracing innovation while respecting history and tradition to make Roanoke College an even greater institution.”
Says Shushok, “Roanoke College is a beautiful community deeply committed to students and their holistic learning. Everywhere at Roanoke College, there are structures and individuals committed to a kind of deep learning that emboldens the human spirit, strengthens public discourse, and becomes a true north for what matters most. I admired this community the moment I discovered it, and I am honored to join the faculty and staff in pursuit of such a worthy calling. I am humbled by the Board of Trustees’ faith in me to contribute to this legacy that has been in motion since 1842.”
Virginia Tech President Tim Sands weighs in thusly: “As a national thought leader in residential education and student well-being, Virginia Tech has been fortunate to have Frank Shushok as our vice president for student affairs. He exemplifies the spirit of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), and that will be a great benefit to the faculty, staff and students of Roanoke College. We appreciate his dedicated service, and while he will be greatly missed at Virginia Tech, higher education in the Commonwealth has gained a talented new leader and we wish him all the best.”
A Baylor graduate, who worked there for several years, Shushok has been “a formidable fundraiser, a prolific author, and a passionate partner to underserved and underrepresented student populations,” according to an RC press release. “He authored and co-authored multiple in-depth studies, helped bring in millions of dollars in gifts, and led a re-organization that addressed the systemic pattern of residence hall racial segregation.”
Shushok and his wife, Kelly, are high school sweethearts who have been married for 30 years. Kelly has served more than 20 years in ministry. They have three children: Brayden, 22, who is employed at Morgan Stanley and 2021 graduate of Virginia Tech; Christian, 20, a sophomore at The University of the South; and Ivy Anne, 17, a junior at Blacksburg High School.
About the Writer:
Dan Smith is an award-winning Roanoke-based writer/author/photographer and a member of the Virginia Communications Hall of Fame (Class of 2010). He has authored eight books, including the upcoming novel out in Summer 2022, NEWS! He is founding editor of a Roanoke-based business magazine and a former Virginia Small Business Journalist of the Year (2005). His new novel is NEWS! from Propertius Press.
