Schreiner’s Provost Chosen as President of Pikeville College Schreiner University provost and vice president for academic affairs, Dr. Michael Looney, has been chosen as the next president of Pikeville College in Pikeville, Ky. The announcement was made December 1st at both campuses. “This is a signal honor for Dr. Looney, with whom I have had the pleasure to work for the last nine years,” said Dr. Tim Summerlin, Schreiner president. “Pikeville has chosen well in selecting an administrative leader who understands the challenges and opportunities facing smaller independent colleges today.

“I have had a dream of being a college president for a number of years,” said Looney. “When I started searching for a presidency I made a conscious effort to identify colleges that are similar to Schreiner in size and history. Pikeville College, affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, has about 1,100 students, 800 undergraduates and 300 medical school students. I, of course, will leave Schreiner with mixed emotions. I have worked with a fantastic administrative team here that has been together since 2002. The faculty at Schreiner is also fantastic and I hold them as close friends. The students, many of whom I have helped recruit, will be the people I will miss the most. Like many small liberal arts colleges, leading Pikeville will be challenging but I have learned many good lessons from Dr. Tim Summerlin. We have worked closely over the past nine years and have seen Schreiner flourish. I will be looking to him for his counsel after I start my tenure as president at Pikeville. Of all of the things that I will miss about Schreiner, being able to work with Tim on a daily basis I will miss the most.”

Looney holds a bachelor’s and master’s degrees from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio. He taught at San Antonio College for 19 years. He came to Schreiner in 1990 as a chemistry professor and developed the university’s biochemistry and chemistry majors. He earned a Doctor of Arts degree in chemistry from Middle Tennessee State University in 1996 and became head of Schreiner’s School of Sciences and Mathematics. In 2001, after a nationwide search, Looney was named Schreiner’s provost and vice president for academic affairs.

“We are going to miss Mike Looney greatly here at Schreiner,” said Summerlin. “He has built our academic programs and faculty and has served effectively as chief planning officer, preparing us well for this year's reaffirmation process with our regional accreditor SACS. He is well prepared to serve as the chief executive officer of Pikeville. My own emotions blend regret at losing a long-time Schreiner faculty member, administrator and good friend and delight at Dr. Looney's opportunity to use his talents leading an institution that has much in common with Schreiner. God bless you, Mike, in your new role!”

The university will swiftly begin the process of making arrangements for interim leadership in academic affairs and conducting a national search for a new chief academic officer, Summerlin said.

For more information about Schreiner University please visit, www.schreiner.edu.