Carolyn Long will return to her position as campus president of West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Beckley on May 16, 2019. She has been serving as interim chancellor of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission since July 2018. At the time of her appointment to the HEPC, Long had been serving as president of WVU Tech since 2011.
“I am grateful to have been able to help guide HEPC during this important time, but I have missed the close contact with students, who after all are the reason I am an educator,” said Long. “I’m excited to be back at Tech as we prepare for the new academic year and welcome new students and families to campus.”
Earlier in her career, Long served as the first chairwoman of the WVU Board of Governors and the first woman county superintendent for Braxton County Schools. She has also served as a teacher and the principal at Little Birch Elementary, and as a teacher at Big Chimney Elementary School.
“We were happy to loan Carolyn to help lead HEPC through its transition during the most recent legislative session, but her presence in Beckley has been missed,” said WVU President Gordon Gee. “It will be good to have her back and help guide this important part of the West Virginia University system.”
Long is a graduate of Fairmont State University in West Virginia, where she majored in elementary education. She holds a master’s degree in education administration from the West Virginia University College of Graduate Studies.