Outgoing University Senate president Mark Meister, Walter F. and Verna Gehrts Endowed Professor, passed the gavel on May 10 to incoming president Amy Rupiper Taggart, associate professor of English.
“You’ve had a great year,” said Craig Schnell, as he presented Meister a plaque acknowledging his service. “You tackled some tough topics and did a great job.”
Rupiper Taggart told the University Senate she believes in collaboration and service, noting she looks forward to seeking input from other campus governing bodies. Rupiper Taggart earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minn. She earned her doctorate in rhetoric and composition at Texas Christian University.
Also at the meeting, Gary Totten, associate professor of English, was elected president-elect in a unanimous vote. He will serve as president during the 2011-12 academic year.
Totten, who joined NDSU in 2004, has received the NDSU College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences’ Outstanding Research Award, the Vogel Teaching Award from the NDSU English department and the Bison Ambassadors Apple Polisher Award. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Brigham Young University and his doctorate in English at Ball State University.