A specialist in educational administration who rose through the ranks to become a professor, assistant dean and assistant provost at Western Illinois University, Macomb, Ill., before serving as executive vice chancellor at Indiana University Northwest, will become the new provost/vice chancellor at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.

Virginia Helm, who currently serves as executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at Indiana University Northwest, Gary, Ind., will succeed retiring Provost/Vice Chancellor Bill Meyer beginning July 15. She holds a bachelor�s degree in English from Boston University, a master�s degree in English from Boston College, an Ed.S. in educational administration from Western Illinois University and a Ph.D. in educational administration from the University of Iowa.

"I am delighted to be joining the UWSP community and look forward to working with students, faculty, staff and administration to achieve new levels of excellence," Helm said. "UWSP is already distinguished among its peer institutions for both academic and athletic excellence, and it will be exciting to extend our efforts in new ways that will further benefit students as well as the region and state."

Prior to joining the administration at IUN, Helm began her career as a graduate assistant at Western Illinois in 1975, then became an instructor, assistant professor and coordinator of student teacher placements between 1976 and 1983. She was promoted to associate professor in 1983 and to full professor four years later. In 1991-92, she served as acting chairperson of the Department of Media and Educational Technology, and from 1990-95, she was assistant dean of the College of Education. For the next six years, she served as assistant provost and academic vice president before taking the appointment in Indiana.

"Dr. Helm has had an outstanding career in education, both as a faculty member and an administrator. She received very strong, broad support from the search and screen committee and from the many people and groups across campus who participated in her interview. Building on her excellent administrative track record at Indiana University Northwest and Western Illinois University, she is poised to step into the critical position of provost/vice chancellor at UWSP - we welcome her most enthusiastically, " said UWSP Chancellor Tom George.

Helm�s accomplishments as vice chancellor at Indiana include the establishment of a Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Working closely with the deans, she proposed the development of a Center for Advising and Career Services, directed student retention initiatives and led a support group to assist displaced workers.

As assistant provost at WIU, Helm was in charge of contract negotiations, assessment initiatives, acquisition and installation of equipment and furnishings for the WIU Regional Center, summer school and faculty development. She administered WIU�s Honors Program, International Studies, University Advising and Academic Support Center and Women�s Center. She also successfully obtained grant funding for several projects, including a $200,000 faculty development program. At WIU she received the Affirmative Action Director�s Award and the Faculty Excellence Award.

Helm has co-authored books about personnel evaluation, authored book chapters about teacher evaluation and school law, and published articles about evaluation and the law in professional journals. Her recent presentations at professional meetings have focused on assessment.

Her service activities include the Western Illinois Performing Arts Society Board, Illinois Association of Colleges of Teacher Education Executive Board and program approval teams. She is a member of the American Association of Higher Education, North Central Conference of Summer Schools, Phi Delta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi and Rotary International.

Helm�s husband, Thomas Helm, is the director of the Illinois Centennial Honors College and a professor of religious studies at Western Illinois University, where he has taught since 1974. Their son, Jonathan, will be a senior at Cornell University where he is studying mathematics and computer science. He will return to Milwaukee this summer for his second internship with General Electric.

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