Washington State University: Dave Cillay Named Interim Pullman Chancellor, Effective June 3
Global Campus Chancellor Dave Cillay, a nationally recognized leader in online higher education, will serve as interim chancellor of WSU’s Pullman campus beginning June 3.
Cillay will maintain his role as Global Campus chancellor as well as vice president of Academic Outreach and Innovation while also serving as the leader of the Pullman campus. Inaugural Pullman Chancellor Elizabeth Chilton is leaving WSU to become the University of New Hampshire’s president.
“The tremendous growth of our Global Campus is in no small part thanks to the monumental efforts put in by Dave and his team,” WSU President Kirk Schulz said. “This is a time of tremendous opportunity for WSU to examine how it will continue fulfilling its mission as a modern land-grant university, and Dave’s record of innovation and thoughtful leadership will prove a tremendous asset to the Pullman campus.”
Cillay’s interim tenure is expected to extend through the university’s search for a new system president, with Schulz stepping down next summer. Schulz has indicated he plans to let the next administration select a permanent replacement.
“As we look for the next leader of our university system, I’m honored to serve the Pullman campus in this role,” Cillay said. “I’ve called Pullman home for the nearly three decades. My family and I are eager to embrace this opportunity and become even more engaged in this vibrant community.”
Cillay and his family are planning to relocate to the Ida Lou Anderson House later this summer. The house traditionally was the historic home of WSU presidents, but in 2022 the university made it the official residence of the Pullman campus chancellor.
In 2019, Cillay was named the inaugural chancellor of WSU Global Campus following seven years as vice president of Academic Outreach and Innovation. Since his appointment, WSU Global Campus has grown from 3,254 students to 3,750 this past fall, with enrollment eclipsing 4,000 students during the COVID-19 pandemic.