CSU-Pueblo to interview three finalists for ICR Director

PUEBLO – Colorado State University-Pueblo will interview three finalists in early June for the permanent position of director of the Institute of Cannabis Research. Interviews will take place during the week of June 5, with the new director to begin work on July 1.

The director will work in coordination with the ICR steering committee on oversight of all institute programming, research, and education, along with hosting the annual international conference and developing the new Journal of Cannabis Research.

The three finalists are: Dr. Jon B. Gettman, an associate professor of criminal justice at Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA; Dr. John Placyk, Jr., associate professor of biology at the University of Texas, Tyler; and Wendy MacColl, director of eLearning at Pikes Peak Community College (PPCC). All interviews will take place in the General Classroom Building 210. Interested campus and community members are invited to attend the 8-8:45 a.m. session each of the three days. For a schedule of the interviews and the finalist’s resumes, visit the ICR website.

Gettman will interview on the campus on Tuesday, June 6. He holds a Ph.D. in public policy from George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., a M.S. in Justice from The American University in Washington, D.C., and a B.A. in Anthropology from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. He is an associate professor of criminal justice at Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA. He has been studying, researching, and publishing about cannabis for more than three decades. He previously worked for NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws), including twice challenging marijuana’s status under the Controlled Substances Act.

On Wednesday, June 7, Placyk will interview on the campus. He holds a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Tennessee, a M.S. degree in Biology from Northern Michigan University, and a B.S. in Marine Science from Stockton University in Pomona, New Jersey. He is a tenured associate professor in the biology department of the University of Texas at Tyler, where he also is a founding member of the Center for Environment, Biodiversity, and Conservation. He has researched and published extensively in the biological sciences.

MacColl will visit campus on Thursday, June 8. She holds a M.A. in Administration, Supervision, and Curriculum Development from the University of Colorado at Denver, and a B. Sc. In Instructional Sciences and Technology from Colorado State University. She has completed coursework towards an Ed.D. In Human Resources and Workforce Development at the University of Arkansas. She serves as director of eLearning at PPCC in Colorado Springs, where she develops eLearning partnerships within PPCC. Her background primarily includes instructional design and learning services in the private sector and higher education. She has experience in higher education management, program development, and grant acquisition and oversight.

All three candidates will follow the same interview schedule in General Classroom Building, Room 201.