Carroll College President Evans Leaving for New Position in Texas

Portrait of Dr. Thomas Evans

HELENA – Dr. Thomas M. Evans, the president of Carroll College since 2012, has accepted the position of president of the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Evans informed the college’s Board of Trustees of his decision earlier today. His last day will be July 31, 2017.

“Dr. Evans has been an extraordinary leader for Carroll College,” said Dannette Sullivan ’72, the chair of the Carroll College Board of Trustees. “His authenticity, intellect and passion have been a gift to the college and our students. He has accomplished a great deal in his five-year tenure and he leaves Carroll well-positioned for the future. We are extremely grateful for his transformational leadership and wish him and his family the very best as they return to Texas.”

Evans has had a number of notable accomplishments during his tenure including the development of the five-year strategic plan which invigorated the college’s campus planning efforts and outlined initiatives aimed at advancing the college’s mission and vision. He has been instrumental in leading the college’s first major capital campaign, the MIND BODY SPIRIT Campaign, which has led to unprecedented donor support for the Hunthausen Activity Center, All Saints Chapel, and the Simperman Learning Commons at the Corette Library. Other improvements to campus in the last five years include: four new campus apartment buildings; the creation of the E.L. Wiegand Integrated Research & Learning Lab; the state-of-the-art FLEX theatre; and significant remodeling to St. Charles Hall.

Through his background in global education, Evans received a $1.5 million gift from Gustavo Artaza, president and CEO of International Students Abroad (ISA), to create the Artaza Center for Excellence in Global Education. Through the Artaza Center, Evans has created new study abroad and intellectual exchange programs between Carroll and colleges in South Korea, Japan, France, Spain, Chile, and Morocco. In addition, Carroll has been the beneficiary of a number of grants from prestigious national foundations, including $1 million received from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to enable the college to further its infectious disease research. Under his stewardship, donors to Carroll have contributed more than $43.5 million to the college for capital projects, endowments and operating purposes.

During his presidency, Carroll’s athletic programs saw the addition of two intercollegiate sports teams in women’s softball and men’s soccer as well as the establishment of ice hockey as a club sport. In addition, the college has experienced record levels of enrollment and retention and has been ranked as the number one regional college in the West by U.S. News & World Report for six years in a row. For the past two years, Carroll has received recognition as the best regional college in the West for veterans as well. Most recently, the board approved Carroll’s first masters degree with plans to enroll its first students in 2018.

“It has been a genuine honor and a privilege to serve Carroll College for the past five years,” said Dr. Evans in a letter to the college community. “I am extremely proud of all that has been achieved through your hard work and dedication. What we have accomplished together is incredible.”

Following a national search, Dr. Evans was selected as the 16th president of Carroll College with his term beginning in June 2012. Prior to arriving at Carroll, Dr. Evans served as associate vice president for professional education and global initiatives at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, where he was instrumental in expanding global education opportunities. He is a graduate of Georgetown University, where he earned a B.A. in Japanese, and he also received a Master of Arts in Asian studies and a PhD in educational administration from The University of Texas at Austin.

“I know that Carroll remains poised for continued success, and will take advantage of its current momentum to overcome any obstacles higher education is facing today,” said Evans. “With a distinctive mission, the many examples of excellence, and the college’s extraordinary people, I am confident that Carroll students will continue to be uniquely served for ‘vocation and enlightenment’ in the most wonderful ways. Carroll Saints make a difference in the world and will continue to do so, be it in local communities or on national and global stages.”

The search for an interim president will begin immediately, guided by the Carroll College Board of Trustees.

 

About University of the Incarnate Word

UIW is the largest Catholic university in Texas and the fourth largest private university in the state. UIW has a student body of over 11,000 students with close to 90 degrees offered at the undergraduate, graduate and doctoral levels. Its main campus is in the heart of San Antonio’s Alamo Heights, with additional locations throughout San Antonio, South and Central Texas, two campuses in Mexico and a European Study Center in Heidelberg, Germany. UIW is a leader in international education, with 140 "sister schools" in 44 countries. 

 

About Carroll College

Carroll College, located in Montana’s state capital Helena, is a private, four-year, Catholic diocesan college providing undergraduate education to nearly 1,500 students. Founded in 1909, Carroll has distinguished itself as a pre-eminent and award-winning leader in academic programs including pre-medical, natural sciences, nursing, engineering, mathematics, the social sciences and the liberal arts.

Students choose Carroll for its combination of exceptional academic programs, affordable tuition with generous financial aid and scholarship opportunities, and the strong close-knit community that exists on a beautiful campus in the heart of the Rocky Mountains.