Gonzaga names interim president

Thayne M. McCulloh may be only the interim president of Gonzaga University, but he’s more than a placeholder, the newly appointed successor to the Rev. Robert J. Spitzer said Friday.

McCulloh, 44, has been at Gonzaga since 1993 as a teacher and administrator. He had been a student, graduating as student body president in 1990. His time off-campus was spent at Oxford University, where he earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in psychology.

He has held several administrative positions at Gonzaga, serving most recently as interim academic vice president.

McCulloh said the university’s board of trustees, having put in place its Vision 2012 strategic plan, expects him to continue with its implementation.

“We have been placed in a position where we’re poised for some really fantastic opportunities,” McCulloh said.

In a prepared statement, trustees Chairman Donald Nelles credited McCulloh for initiatives that have made Gonzaga a leading regional, comprehensive university.

“He knows the institution well, is an experienced administrator, and the right person at the right time in Gonzaga University’s history,” Nelles said.

McCulloh said he and the university are doing all they can to ensure that as many students as possible accepted for admission have the means to enroll. His wife, Julie McCulloh, is Gonzaga’s dean of admissions.

Application numbers were equal to or slightly above last year’s levels, he said, and this weekend the university will host the high school seniors who were accepted and encourage them to be on campus in the fall.

McCulloh cannot succeed Spitzer because he is not a Jesuit, but he said he has worked alongside the outgoing president and witnessed what he accomplished in his 11 years.

“I’ve had the opportunity to grow up here,” he said. “It’s a very humbling thing for me.”