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March 2, 2010 -Mount Olive College to Install Fourth President on March 19
MOUNT OLIVE – Mount Olive College will inaugurate its fourth president on Friday, March 19, 2010 in Kornegay Arena. During the 2:00 PM ceremony Dr. Philip P. Kerstetter will be formally installed in the position he has held since July 1, 2009.
The investiture will feature all of the customs and regalia befitting one of the most celebratory of academic ceremonies. During a colorful procession by robed representatives from local, regional, and national academic institutions, the installation will include for the first time in Mount Olive College history the introduction of the Mount Olive College Lectionary Cross to be given by the Original Free Will Baptist Church and used in tandem with the College Mace at all future academic celebrations. Dr. Kerstetter will also be presented with a Presidential Medallion engraved with the College Seal.
Dr. Kerstetter will be welcomed by a group of speakers including representatives from the College’s Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, and students; the OFWB Church; the North Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities; the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools; and local and state government officials. The Mount Olive College Music Department will provide special music for the occasion. Dr. Kerstetter will deliver a keynote address in which he will talk about his vision for the College and his future plans for the institution.
“A presidential inauguration is a major occasion in the life of a college,” said Kevin J. Jean, Vice President for Institutional Advancement and Chair of the Inauguration Planning Committee. “The event will be a celebration of the College’s history, values, and vision for the future. As we affirm our new president, we will also affirm the ideals that Mount Olive College has always represented: academic quality, Christian values, and student focus.”
The ceremony will be preceded by a series of events held throughout the week. The theme of the week will be “Transforming Through Connections” and will include a variety of activities planned to celebrate the College and the community. For a complete list of events, visit www.moc.edu/inauguration.
Kerstetter was selected by the College’s Board of Trustees to succeed Dr. J. William Byrd, who stepped down as President and assumed the role of Chancellor in June of 2009.
Kerstetter comes to Mount Olive College from a distinguished career spanning more than 35 years in public and private higher education. Prior to his current appointment, Kerstetter served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Kansas Wesleyan University in Salina Kansas for seven years. He served as the Executive Associate to the President at Thiel College for two years and as the Special Associate to the Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs in the State System of Higher Education for one year. He worked at Edinboro University of Pennsylvania for more than 15 years in various capacities, including Director of Institutional Research and Planning, Dean of Graduate Studies, Dean of Education, and Dean of Education and Graduate Studies. Kerstetter carries the status of Administrator Emeritus from Edinboro University. Kerstetter received his B.A. in religion from Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania; his M.Ed. in college counseling from the University of Delaware; and his Ph.D. in special education administration from Gallaudet University in Washington, D.C.
Kerstetter is married to Mary Johnson Kerstetter. They have two children and four grandchildren. For more information about inaugural events, contact Kathy Gardner at 919-658-2502.
Mount Olive College is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The College, sponsored by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists, has locations in Mount Olive, New Bern, Wilmington, Goldsboro, Research Triangle Park, Washington and Jacksonville. For more information, visit www.moc.edu.