Below are a variety of items about upcoming events and other news notes on the campus of Youngstown State University:

• YSU wins grant to recruit college poll workers
• Khawaja named provost, VP for academic affairs
• McCloud named VP of University Advancement
  

YSU wins grant to recruit college poll workers
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission has awarded $25,278 to Youngstown State University to recruit students to serve as poll workers during the November presidential election.

“This is going to be a monumental election, and we thought it was a great opportunity for our students to get more involved in the political process,” said Cryshanna Jackson, YSU assistant professor of political science.

The award through the Help America Vote College Program was one of 27 made to colleges and nonprofit organizations from 18 states. In all, about 8,800 college students will become poll workers as a result of the grants.

Jackson said YSU hopes to recruit and train 40 to 50 students to work the polls in Mahoning and Trumbull counties. 

“Recruiting, training and retaining poll workers continue to be a challenge,” EAC Chair Rosemary E. Rodriguez said. “The need for these dedicated Americans will be even more crucial in November, when we expect a record turnout.”

“These grant programs will help not only recruit more poll workers for November, but also recruit the next generation of poll workers by focusing on recruiting and educating younger Americans about the importance of civic participation on Election Day.”

Through the Help America Vote College Program, the EAC distributes funds to increase the pool of qualified poll workers. The program also seeks to ease poll worker shortages such as those seen in the 2004 election, where nearly 6 percent of polling places and 4 percent of precincts reported having too few poll workers.

This is the program’s third year. In 2004 and 2006, its grantees brought in more than 5,000 students to serve as poll workers. 

The EAC is an independent bipartisan commission created by the Help America Vote Act. The EAC serves as a national clearinghouse and resource of information regarding election administration.

Khawaja named provost, VP for academic affairs
Ikram Khawaja, a member of Youngstown State University’s faculty and administration for 40 years, has been named provost and vice president for academic affairs at YSU.

Khawaja has served as YSU’s interim provost since August 2007. He replaced Robert K. Herbert, who died in July 2007. Khawaja’s permanent appointment to the position is effective immediately, YSU President David C. Sweet said.

“Dr. Khawaja has extensive and varied experience and is a proven, respected campus leader,” Sweet said. “His distinguished service and leadership during his term as interim provost makes him the most qualified candidate for this position.”

After Khawaja was named interim provost, the university conducted a nationwide search for the position, with three finalist candidates visiting campus earlier this year. Sweet said that none of the candidates exceeded the capabilities of Khawaja, so he recommended to the YSU Board of Trustees that Khawaja be named to the position on a permanent basis. The board approved the appointment on June 20.

“It is with a great deal of pleasure and pride that I accept this position,” Khawaja said. “I have dedicated my professional life to YSU for four decades, and I look forward to continuing to move the academic division forward and serving our students.”

Khawaja joined YSU’s faculty in 1968 and served 17 years as chair of the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences. He was director of faculty relations from 1997 to 2000 and served as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from July 2001 to July 2002 before retiring in December 2002. He returned to YSU as interim dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from July 2005 to July 2007.

He earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Karachi in Pakistan, a master’s from Southern Illinois University and a Ph.D. from Indiana University. 

McCloud named VP for University Advancement
George McCloud has been named vice president for university advancement at Youngstown State University.

McCloud came to YSU in 1997 as dean of the College of Fine and Performing Arts. Between 2001 and 2005, he served as both dean and as special assistant to the president for development and public relations. Since 2005, he has been special assistant to the president for University Advancement, overseeing the university’s marketing and communications, development, events management, alumni and government relations functions, as well as WYSU–FM.

Prior to McCloud’s service as special assistant to the president, the university’s Vice President of Development and Community Affairs oversaw those areas. Therefore, YSU President David C. Sweet recommended that McCloud’s title be changed to vice president for university advancement.

“Under Dr. McCloud’s leadership, the advancement division has made remarkable strides in advancing the fund–raising, public and community relations, and government relations functions of the university,” Sweet said. “This change in title is an appropriate and deserved recognition of his efforts.”

McCloud said: “I appreciate Dr. Sweet’s expression of confidence in my work. I look forward to continuing our efforts to help YSU extend its proud past into a very promising future.”

Prior to coming to YSU, McCloud was dean of the School of Arts and Communication at William Paterson College of New Jersey, director of strategic planning and executive counsel to the president at Eastern Michigan University, special assistant to the provost at Eastern Michigan, and dean of the Graduate School of Communications at Fairfield University.

McCloud earned a bachelor’s degree in speech/communication from Eastern Michigan in 1967 and a Ph.D. in speech/communication from the University of Michigan in 1975. He was also an NEH Summer Fellow at Princeton University in 1979 and studied at Harvard’s Institute for Educational Management in 1991.