Posted by Hilary Edwards on Tue, Nov 06, 2012
Fielding Graduate University president, Dr. Richard Meyers, announced at the Board of Trustees meeting in Santa Barbara, CA, on Saturday, November 3, 2012, that he will not seek extension of his contract, which ends December 31, 2013. Dr. Meyers stated, “My vision has been to leave the university in a secure financial position with a future plan. My focus has been on increased shared governance, enhanced programs and degrees that prepare students to be more socially responsible, international components that make Fielding of value globally, and increased recognition of Fielding’s unique role in higher education.”
Dr. Meyers has a long and distinguished career in higher education, with over three decades serving as a university president. He began his journey as a founding dean in Ridgecrest, CA at Cerro Coso Community College, then transitioned to president three years later as one of the youngest college presidents in the nation at that time. His distinguished career continued at Pasadena City College, Western Oregon University, and Webster University in St. Louis, and in all instances Dr. Meyers was responsible for significant increases in each university's endowment, enrollment, and expansion. Fielding Graduate University was Dr. Meyers' fifth presidential appointment in higher education, of which he states “Fielding is so extraordinarily unique. My service here continues to be a labor of love…I am honored to add my name to the illustrious list of visionary leaders that preceded me.”
Throughout his career, Dr. Meyers received numerous awards and honors and distinguished himself as a champion of gender equity, race relations, shared governance and international education. He developed international campuses and programs, was a Fulbright scholar in Egypt, received an honorary doctorate from Kansai University in Osaka, Japan for his work in science and culture, helped numerous women break through the “glass ceiling,” and was honored by the NAACP. He holds a music degree from De Paul University as well as masters and doctorates in instructional technology and psychology from University of Southern California. Following his retirement from Fielding, Dr. Meyers and his wife, Yakko, will continue to be an active part of the Santa Barbara community.
The Board accepted Dr. Meyers’ announcement with deep appreciation for his efforts on behalf of Fielding. Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Michael Goldstein, JD, commented, “Dr. Meyers’ service to the university during a period of great upheaval in global higher education has helped position Fielding Graduate University to continue its pioneering role as the best graduate school for adult learners.” Dr. Meyers will step down as president at the end of the Fielding Graduate University Summer 2013 All-School Session in Washington, DC, July 2013, at which time Provost Katrina Rogers, PhD, will become Acting President Designee.
Dr. Rogers currently serves as provost and senior vice president at Fielding. In the educational and nonprofit sectors, Dr. Rogers has held many positions including as executive, consultant, board member, and teacher. She led the European campus for Thunderbird School of Global Management in Geneva, Switzerland, for a nearly a decade, working with international organizations such as the Red Cross, the World Trade Organization, and the European Union as well as companies such as Renault, Nestlé, Club Med, Levi-Strauss, and Disneyland Paris.
Dr. Rogers is a leader in the field of conservation, most notably with the Grand Canyon Trust and the Arboretum, both located in Arizona. She led conservation projects in rural communities, lobbied Congress for stronger environmental legislation, and participated in restoration work in the US, China, and Costa Rica. In the course of her work, Dr. Rogers raised more than $20 million in grants and donations for conservation efforts throughout the country.
Dr. Rogers has served as board president for the Environmental Fund of Arizona and currently serves as a trustee for the Public Dialogue Consortium and the Toda Institute for Global Policy and Peace Research. She was a student Fulbright scholar for two years in Germany at the University of Tubingen and received the prestigious Bundeskanzler post-doctoral fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. As for her upcoming role at Fielding, Dr. Rogers states, “I am honored that the President and the Board has placed their trust in me and our community as we build a future for Fielding based on our strong learning model for adult learners, informed by the relationships between our faculty and students.”
Mr. Goldstein announced: “The Board will immediately start the process leading to the selection and appointment of the next president of Fielding Graduate University. As a first step, the Board will seek the input of the Fielding community respecting the characteristics desired of our future president.”
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Late last year, Meyers became one of the first university presidents to sign an open letter, written on behalf of College Presidents for Gun Safety, addressed to the nation’s policy makers urging the timely passage of gun safety legislation. Since its release, the letter and accompanying petition have been signed by more than 350 higher education leaders. 
