The board of trustees of Wheeling University in West Virginia has announced the appointment of Ginny Favede as the institution’s thirteenth president. She has been serving as chair of the board of trustees since July.
Until earlier this year the institution was known as Wheeling Jesuit University. It retains its affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church. The university has had financial difficulties, falling enrollments, and has dropped several majors. According to the latest data supplied to the U.S. Department of Education, Wheeling University enrolls just under 1,200 undergraduate students and just over 300 graduate students. Women make up 46 percent of the undergraduate student body.
Favede has been serving as executive director of the Ohio Valley Construction Employers Council, a not-for-profit association of more than 500 contractors. She is a former county commissioner in West Virginia. Favedeis a graduate of Ohio State University, where she majored in political science.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as the thirteenth President of Wheeling University, and to continue the positive momentum and collaborative process that our administrators, faculty, and staff have fostered throughout the Wheeling community,” says Favede. “I am grateful for the confidence of Bishop Mark Brennan, and the support of the board of trustees. I look forward to working closely with our faculty and staff, as we lead Wheeling University into a bold new era of academic, athletic, and administrative excellence.”