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VAUGHN VANDEGRIFT:
Following the American Dream
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By Christine Imbs
If you don’t grab for the brass ring in life, you’re not going to catch it.”
This is something Vaughn Vandegrift says he’s often told his kids. It’s also something he himself has taken to heart. As the new chancellor at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Vandegrift is a prime example of what education and grabbing for that brass ring can get you.
“I represent the first generation in my family to graduate from college,” he says. “My father worked as a laborer and my mother was home with five children. For me to be able to go to college and graduate was something. I’ve dedicated my life to higher education as a result.”
Vandegrift originally planned a career as a chemistry professor. He taught at Illinois State University, Southern Illinois University-Carbondale and Murray State University in Kentucky before becoming Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics for his alma mater, Montclair State University in New Jersey. It was while here that he received some advice that would eventually place him on a somewhat different path.
“The president of Montclair at the time, Irv Reid, pulled me aside just before he went to Wayne State,” Vandegrift says. “He told me he thought I needed to look at other avenues to express the skills I had in the higher education community. His counsel really made a
difference in my life.”
Reid’s advice eventually led Vandegrift out of the classroom and into the office of provost at Georgia Southern University. It was from here that he came to SIUE, and what he calls a different kind of teaching.
“I still see myself as an educator, only this time educating the public about the value of the university. It’s just my classroom that’s changed,” he explains. “So it’s still the same motivation that gets me up every morning
and to work–helping young people fulfill
their potential.”
And the fulfillment of human potential is what Vandegrift says higher education is all about. During his formal installation as chancellor last April, he gave a speech in which he said he believes the American commitment to higher education is what sets us apart from other countries. It’s become part of the American dream.
“It is no accident that we do not use that expression (the American dream) of any other country,” he told the crowd. “Despite all the positive aspects of those countries and
cultures, we do not hear of ‘the English dream,’ ‘the Norwegian dream,’ ‘the Indian dream,’ the ‘Chinese dream,’ or ‘the Australian dream.’ For millions of Americans, including me, access to public higher education
means hope.”
As chancellor, the 57-year-old Vandegrift has his work cut out for him. But as he says, “If there’s not a lot of work, there’s no fun coming to work.” He sees the job ahead as challenging but attainable. “The university’s vision is that we become recognized nationally for our programs and the development of professional and community leaders. This means improving the institution’s academic profile, seeking more funding, offering and starting more programs, and developing better opportunities for international learning,”
he comments. “We’ve got a great agenda at the university. And I think we can achieve
that vision.”
Vandegrift says his philosophy in life is to work hard, live life to the fullest, and make a difference. This belief and his commitment to higher public education is what he believes fulfills him. “As I mentioned before, it’s all about accomplishing things that give our young people the opportunity to fulfill their potential,” he says. “I personally don’t think there’s a greater profession than the education profession, because of the impact it’s had on my life and the lives of so many others.”
TalkingPOINTS
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BORN: Jersey City
EDUCATION: Ph.D. in biochemistry from Ohio State University; B.A. and M.A. in chemistry from Montclair State University
FAMILY: Wife, Sue; 3 children and one
granddaughter
FAVORITE THING ABOUT THE AREA: The friendliness of the people and the sense of community.
MOST PROUD OF: “I’m a new grandfather. They named her Vaughn after me.”
BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT: Becoming chancellor at SIUE
WHAT HE'D LIKE TO ACCOMPLISH: I want to get a new science building.
HOBBIES: Travel, golf and reading
FAVORITE BOOKS: Fiction. I just finished reading “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown. |
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