Long-Time WWU Team Physician To Retire

Dr. Warren Howe is retiring after 19 years at Western Washington University as the team physician for Viking Athletics and Student Health Center physician.

Howe, 70, will be honored at the WWU Athletic Department's Dub-Dub-Blue celebration on Tuesday, May 31 (5 p.m.), at the Performing Arts Center on the WWU campus.

Howe got his A.B. at the University of Rochester and later went on to Washington University in St. Louis to graduate with his M.D. in 1965. He completed his internship at the Philadelphia General Hospital in 1965 and his residency at the University of Rochester from 1969-71.

Howe, who was the recipient of the American College of Sports Medicine 2005 Citation Award, was a partner in a clinic at Oak Harbor for 21 years prior to coming to Western. He was the head physician at the Class AAA state high school wrestling championships from 1978 to 1988 and has been the medical director at the Washington State High School Wrestling Championships from 1989 to present.

Howe was named to the Washington State Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame as a contributor in 1991 and was inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2003.

He was the attending physician at NAIA National Wrestling Championships in 1976 as well as for wrestling and track at the 1990 Seattle Goodwill Games. Howe, who served in the U.S. Navy, and wife Hedy have two grown daughters, Elizabeth and Sarah.

CWU President Named to NCAA Division II Governing Board

Gaudino

Central Washington University President James L. Gaudino has been appointed a Region 4 representative to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Presidents Council.

As such, he will represent the 59 Division II member institutions in a region that encompasses Washington, Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Montana, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas and Utah.

The 15-member council, comprised of presidents and chancellors from Division II member institutions, is the chief governing body for NCAA Division II athletics.

Its responsibilities include ratifying, amending or rescinding actions of the Division II Management Council, developing and approving budgets and expenditures, and implementing policies and procedures pertaining to Division II athletics.

“I'm honored to be appointed to the council and look forward to addressing issues facing Division II schools here in the region,” Gaudino said. “I believe a strong athletics program is an integral part of the campus experience here at Central, and at all schools in our region.”

Gaudino is just the second university president in the 10-year history of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) to serve on the council.

“Dr. Gaudino's appointment is a significant development for our conference,” said GNAC Commissioner Richard Hannan. “With his background as an athlete and his interest in Division II athletics, I'm confident he will prove to be a strong voice not only for the GNAC but for all of Division II.”

A 1972 graduate of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Gaudino was an offensive tackle on the Falcons' football team. He has served as CWU's president since Jan. 1, 2009.

Before arriving at Central, Gaudino was the founding dean of the College of Communication and Information at Kent State University. He also served as executive director of the National Communication Association. Based in Washington, D.C., it is the largest national organization dedicated to communication.

Gaudino's four-year term on the Presidents Council begins during the 2011 NCAA Convention in San Antonio, Texas, in January and continues through 2015. The council meets four times each year: at the annual convention in January, and then in April, August and October.

Montana State University Billings Names New Chancellor

Groseth

A longtime member of the Montana State University family - Dr. Rolf Groseth - has been named chancellor of Montana State University Billings.

Groseth was named Monday by MSU President Dr. Waded Cruzado as the second chancellor of the Billings-based university. Groseth succeeds Dr. Ron Sexton, who had served as chancellor since 1995. Sexton retired in August.

“Dr. Groseth has a proven track record of dedication to Montana State University and its units across the state,” Cruzado said. “He has the ability to connect to the people and students at our campuses and has proven he can garner support in the communities we serve."

Groseth said he was honored by the appointment and said he was eager to get started in his new leadership role.

“I appreciate the confidence shown in me by Dr. Cruzado and look forward to this next step in the advancement of this university in the Billings community,” Groseth said. “There is a lot of work to do and it's the kind of work that I'm excited to do.”

Groseth, 64, has been serving as interim chancellor at MSU Billings since July. Before arriving in Billings, he was serving as vice president for inter-campus affairs at Montana State University in Bozeman and was interim chancellor at MSU Northern in Havre from January 2008 to August 2009.