Athens, Ga. – Doris Christopher, a senior administrator with Georgia College and State University, has been named assistant vice president for academic affairs and director of academic programs for the University of Georgia’s Griffin Campus, effective Aug. 1.
She also will be a professor in the department of workforce education, leadership and social foundations in UGA’s College of Education.
“Dr. Christopher is an experienced academic leader with a strong record of developing and leading extended campus programs,” said Laura Jolly, vice president for instruction, to whom Christopher will report. “I am confident she will bring new ideas and energy to the Griffin Campus. She embraces community engagement and will be a strong collaborator with local and state leaders. I look forward to working with her to enhance current programs and build new programs to advance UGA’s Griffin Campus.”
Christopher will work full-time at the Griffin Campus, traveling as needed to Athens. She will provide leadership and day-to-day coordination of academic programs and academic support activities at the Griffin Campus, where UGA offers bachelor’s degree-completion programs and graduate degree programs.
“Dr. Jerry Arkin has provided administrative leadership for the Griffin Campus’ academic programs since 2006 while also serving as assistant dean of the campus for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences,” Jolly said. “He will continue in his role as assistant dean and collaborate with Dr. Christopher to support the academic mission of the Griffin Campus. Dr. Arkin has been an untiring advocate for the campus, and we owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude for his leadership.”
Christopher also will work with UGA colleges, schools and departments to develop new undergraduate and graduate degree programs for the Griffin Campus, collaborate with research and extension administrators on cross-cutting opportunities, and collaborate with local community agencies to promote the university’s academic programs in the surrounding area.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to work with and serve the outstanding faculty, staff and students at UGA’s Griffin Campus,” said Christopher. “The more I learned about the Griffin Campus, I knew this was the place I wanted to be. The location of the campus, the community support, and UGA’s reputation for academic excellence are a few of the many reasons I want to be part of taking this campus to the next level in terms of enrollment and degree program offerings.”
Christopher has served as chief administrative officer for the Center for Graduate and Professional Learning at Georgia College and State University since 2007. In that role, she has worked extensively with faculty, administrators, students and staff, as well as with community leaders in the Middle Georgia area. She has been active in the Greater Macon Chamber of Commerce, the Macon Kiwanis Club and the Bibb County Mentors Project, and serves on the board of the Central Georgia American Red Cross.
Christopher holds an Ed.D. in vocational education from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville, with a minor in higher education and cognate in business administration. Before moving to Georgia, she was an associate dean in the College of Business and Economics at California State University in Los Angeles.
UGA’s Griffin Campus, located 40 miles south of Atlanta, was established as the Georgia Experiment Station in 1888, where agricultural research was conducted. Undergraduate degree-completion programs were first offered there in fall 2005. Currently, eight undergraduate majors are offered, plus graduate programs in education and agricultural leadership. The academic programs in Griffin lead to a UGA degree.
For more information, see http://www.uga.edu/griffin/
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