John Short, an administrator at the University of Wisconsin Fond du Lac, is the new president of the University of Maine Fort Kent, university officials announced Thursday.

Short, who will be paid $170,000 a year, will take office April 1 under a standard two-year contract that may be extended annually.

As chief executive and dean at Fond du Lac, Short oversaw operations and academics at the freshman-sophomore level liberal arts transfer institution serving about 700 students within the University of Wisconsin System.

UM Fort Kent serves about 1,560 students.

University of Maine System officials noted that Short also helped establish a concurrent enrollment program that resulted in almost 200 local students taking college credit courses while still in high school. That’s a growing area for the University of Maine System, which offers similar programs and is looking to expand them.

“Dr. Short’s success in expanding access through early college initiatives, his experience teaching in and growing community-focused programs at rural institutions, as well as his entrepreneurial approach to civic engagement and multi-campus collaboration were accomplishments and characteristics that distinguished John’s candidacy,” Chancellor James Page said.

Short previously served as dean and associate dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Millersville University, and dean and professor in the School of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. He holds a doctor of arts degree in government from Lehigh University.

John Murphy, the chief financial officer at UMFK, has served as interim president since June 2015, when then-President Wilson Hess announced his retirement. Hess earned $152,000 in his final year as president.

Noel K. Gallagher can be reached at 791-6387 or at:

ngallagher@pressherald.com

Twitter: noelinmaine

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