Nine university presidents have been selected to begin terms on the Division I Board of Directors.

CEOs appointed to terms beginning this August and extending through April 2009 are Michael Adams of the University of Georgia, Anthony DiGiorgio of Winthrop University, Gregory Geoffroy of Iowa State University, Bruce Grube of Georgia Southern University and Sidney Ribeau of Bowling Green State University. Purdue University President Martin Jischke, who became a member in April, also will serve through April 2009.

Three other presidents were appointed to complete terms of members who changed affiliations or were otherwise unable to serve the remainder of their terms. They are Shirley Raines of the University of Memphis (serving through April 2006), Robert Fisher of Belmont University (April 2007) and Stephen L. Weber of San Diego State University (April 2008).

Following are brief biographical sketches of the new Board members.

Adams

Adams was named Georgia's 21st president in June 1997. By 2001, the university implemented a strategic plan under his direction that focused on growth in the first decade of the 21st century: building the new learning environment, maximizing research opportunities and competing in a global economy.

Adams is a member of the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics and served for five years as the chair of the Rhodes Scholarship selection committee for the state of Georgia. He currently is serving a two-year term as president of the Southeastern Conference.

He holds a bachelor's degree in speech and history from David Lipscomb College, a master's and doctorate in political communications and a cognate emphasis in educational administration from Ohio State University. He also holds an academic appointment as a professor of speech communication at Georgia.

He began his professional career on the communication faculty at Ohio State, later serving as vice-president for university affairs at Pepperdine University. He was president of Centre College for nine years before coming to Georgia. He also served as chief of staff for Sen. Howard Baker and as an aide to Gov. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee.

DiGiorgio

DiGiorgio became Winthrop's ninth president in January 1989 and led the college's conversion to Winthrop University, a comprehensive teaching insstitution now offering 72 undergraduate and 49 graduate degree programs and options. He also initiated the university's successful drive to achieve 100 percent accreditation in all Winthrop programs for which national accreditation is offered.

After receiving his undergraduate degree at Gannon College, DiGiorgio earned his master's and doctoral degrees from Purdue University. DiGiorgio continued his education with extensive postdoctoral training in psychology and educational development. In 1987, he attended the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University.

DiGiorgio's career in education began in 1963 when he taught English at Belleville Senior High School in New Jersey. Three years later, he became an instructor and assistant to the dean of humanities, social science and education at Purdue.

In 1970, he began the first of 19 years of service at The College of New Jersey. He served in a number of positions, including vice-president for academic affairs.

In addition to serving on the Division I Board of Directors, DiGiorgio also is a member of the recently formed NCAA College Basketball Partnership.

Fisher

Fisher was appointed as president of Belmont in April 2000. Before that, he was vice-president for academic affairs at Arkansas State University. He also was dean of the school of business at Henderson State University for 10 years.

Fisher earned his bachelor's degree from Henderson State, an MBA from the University of Memphis, and a Ph.D. from the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville.

He has published numerous articles on management and leadership, including articles that have appeared in the Personnel Journal and Personnel Administrator. Fisher is co-author of "Real Dream Teams," a book on team leadership published by St. Lucie Press.

Fisher has served in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, as a Fulbright Scholar conducting research and consulting with the National Institute of Public Administration, and was a keynote speaker at the Arabian Society for Human Resource Management Conference in Bahrain.

Geoffroy

Geoffroy became president of Iowa State in July 2001. He also is a professor of chemistry at the university.

He began his academic career as an assistant professor of chemistry at Pennsylvania State University in 1974, advancing to associate professor in 1978 and professor in 1982. He was appointed head of the chemistry department in 1988 and dean of the Eberly College of Science at Penn State in 1989.

In 1997, Geoffroy was appointed senior vice-president for academic affairs and provost at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he also served as interim president for two months in 1998.

Geoffroy graduated with honors from the University of Louisville in 1968. He served as an officer in the U.S. Navy from 1969 to 1970 and then earned his Ph.D. in chemistry in 1974 from the California Institute of Technology.

Grube

Grube was appointed as the 11th president of Georgia Southern in March 1999. Before that he served as president of St. Cloud State University from 1995 to 1999. From 1992 to 1995, he was the provost at Colorado State University at Pueblo with responsibilities as the chief academic officer and the chief operations officer of the university.

From 1987 to 1992, Grube was the provost and academic vice-president at California State Polytechnic University. Other administrative assignments over the years have included responsibility for strategic planning, institutional research, enrollment management, information technology, legislative and board relations, legal relations, and minor and major capital projects.

He earned his A.B. from the University of California, Berkeley, and Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. He also has served as a faculty member since 1971.

Grube has served as chair of the Council of Presidents of the Southern Conference and as vice-chair of the Council of Presidents of the North Central Conference.

Jischke

Jischke became Purdue's 10th president in August 2000. He and the Purdue board of trustees approved a five-year strategic plan in 2001 calling for data-driven decision making and new steps to improve diversity, expand interdisciplinary research, enhance learning with the addition of 300 new faculty positions, and engage government and business leaders to advance economic development.

He previously served for nine years as president of Iowa State University. His experience in higher education also includes 17 years as professor and dean at the University of Oklahoma and five years as chancellor of the University of Missouri, Rolla.

Jischke earned his bachelor's degree in 1963 in physics with honors from the Illinois Institute of Technology. He received his doctoral degree in aeronautics and astronautics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1968.

Jischke has held research fellowships with NASA and the Donald W. Douglas Laboratory. He also served as a White House fellow and special assistant to the U.S. secretary of transportation.

Raines

Raines became the 11th president of Memphis in July 2001. She is the first woman to hold the presidency of the university founded in 1912.

Raines earned her bachelor of science degree from the University of Tennessee at Martin, and her master of science degree and doctorate in education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She also completed the management development program from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Before her appointment at Memphis, Raines was vice-chancellor for academic services and dean of the College of Education at the University of Kentucky. While at George Mason University, she received the Distinguished Faculty Member award and has received two research awards from the Eastern Educational Research Association. She is the author of 13 books and numerous journal articles, and is widely regarded as an expert in teacher education and early childhood education.

Raines chairs the Conference USA board of directors and has led the league through recent realignment. As a community leader, she serves as first vice-chair of the Memphis Regional Chamber and as chair of the Higher Education Division of United Way. She also serves on several nonprofit boards.

Ribeau

Ribeau became Bowling Green's ninth president in 1995. He began his teaching career in 1976 as a professor of communication studies at California State University, Los Angeles. Eight years later, after being honored as an outstanding teacher and student adviser, he became chair of the university's Pan African studies department.

He held that position until 1987, when he was named dean of undergraduate studies at California State University, San Bernardino. Three years later, he became dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Cal Poly's San Luis Obispo campus. In 1992 he was named vice president for academic affairs at Cal Poly Pomona, a position he held until coming to Bowling Green.

Ribeau received his bachelor's degree from Wayne State University (Michigan) in 1971. He earned master's and doctoral degrees in interpersonal communication from the University of Illinois, Champaign, in 1973 and 1979, respectively.

Weber

Weber became San Diego State's seventh president in July 1996.

Before coming to San Diego State, Weber served as the interim provost of the State University of New York, having previously served seven years as president of its Oswego campus. He also has been vice-president for academic affairs at St. Cloud State University, the dean of arts and sciences at Fairfield University and assistant to the president at the university of Maine, Orono.

Weber completed his Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Notre Dame in 1969.

A member of the oversight committee for the Bowl Championship Series, Weber holds membership in numerous national organizations and has served as chair of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. He is a member of the Leadership Group, a collaboration of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and the U. S. Department of the Interior.