Hicks to leave Dalton State to be president of Southern Arkansas University

Brady Hix, The Daily Citizen, Dalton, Ga.
·3 min read

May 23—Dalton State College Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Bruno Hicks has been named the next president of Southern Arkansas University.

Hicks, who joined Dalton State in February 2020, was announced as the Magnolia, Arkansas-based university's 13th president Tuesday.

According to a press release from Dalton State, Hicks is set to begin in the new role June 17.

"I am grateful to Dr. Hicks for his leadership and service to Dalton State College and I wish him the very best as he begins this new chapter in his professional career," Dalton State President John Fuchko III said in a statement.

Fuchko said the provost and vice president of academic affairs position is a "vital role." To "ensure a smooth transition," Fuchko said Gina Kertulis-Tartar, who has served as the college's dean of the School of Health Professions since 2013, will be interim provost and vice president for academic affairs.

"Dr. Kertulis-Tartar came to Dalton State in 2005 as an assistant professor of biology," Fuchko said. "A professor of biology in the School of Arts & Sciences, she has also ... chaired our Mountain Campus Advisory Board since 2018. In addition to her work within Dalton State, Dr. Kertulis-Tartar serves as an executive board member for the Blue Ridge Area Health Education Center and as a member of the CTAE (Career, Technical and Agricultural Education) Advisory Boards for Chattooga County Schools and Dalton Public Schools."

Fuchko said Marina Smitherman will serve as the interim School of Health Professions dean.

Smitherman, Dalton State's director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning and Department of Life Sciences chair, joined the college in 2008.

"With a doctorate in clinical medicine and a master's in public health, Dr. Smitherman brings considerable knowledge and experience to this role," Fuchko said.

Andy Meyer, a biology professor in the School of Arts and Sciences for 25 years, will take over Smitherman's role as the interim chair of the Department of Life Sciences, Fuchko said.

"I appreciate each of these leaders taking on additional responsibilities and I am confident in their abilities to help us maintain the strong momentum we have in serving the students of Northwest Georgia and beyond," Fuchko said. "I look forward to working with them and all our deans and faculty to prioritize student success and a curricular focus that serves our communities and enriches lives."

Fuchko said Kertulis-Tartar and Smitherman "will begin working with Dr. Hicks and colleagues across the college immediately to facilitate this transition."

Hicks was unanimously approved to lead the university by the Board of Trustees.

"Dr. Hicks has a successful background in higher education," said Southern Arkansas University Board of Trustees Chair Laura Ann Winning. "He has dedicated the majority of his career to regional institutions similar in size to the SAU system, most recently in Dalton, Georgia."

Prior to joining Dalton State College, Hicks served as the dean of education for Fitchburg State University in Massachusetts for four years, beginning in 2016. Hicks also previously served as a professor of education and environmental studies at the University of Maine at Fort Kent, where he became the chair of its education department, according to a Southern Arkansas University press release.