Glen Ellyn, Illinois--(Newsfile Corp. - July 1, 2024) - When Dr. Christine M. Hammond begins at College of DuPage on July 1, she will be fully invested in the College community from the moment she sets foot on campus.

"Higher education today is dynamic and competitive. College of DuPage deserves to have a leader who is going to champion everyone's efforts and move them forward," she said. "I will also lay the groundwork for your permanent president, and I want the views of the campus community and surrounding communities to be reflected in the selection process. During my time at COD, I will be fully invested in my work and will bring my best self to COD every day."

The College's Board of Trustees approved Dr. Hammond as the Interim President following the retirement of President Dr. Brian Caputo. With more than 40 years of experience in higher education, she served as President of Mid Michigan College for six years until her retirement in June 2020. She then fulfilled two interim leadership positions and will be at COD for the next year while the Board leads a national search for a permanent president.

Growing up in northeastern Ohio, Dr. Hammond was inspired by her parents to achieve more. During World War II, her father earned seven battle stars while her mother was a real-life "Rosie the Riveter."

"I grew up in a pull-yourself-up-by-the-bootstraps environment," she said. "Neither envisioned where my career would go, but they did not want me to have a job at a factory. I became a first-generation college student before anyone coined that phrase."

Dr. Hammond enrolled at Thiel College, a small liberal arts school in Pennsylvania. She earned her bachelor's degree in English in three years while working the entire time. One of her jobs was as head resident in one of the residence halls on campus, and someone mentioned that she could do the same thing at Bowling Green State University while pursuing a Master of Arts in College Student Personnel. She did just that and ended up working in residence life for 10 years.

"I always got to know the students well. I knew of their struggles and their achievements," she said. "I began to believe that I could have an impact on students who were like me. I loved learning, and I enjoyed being able to open doors for others."

She became Associate Dean of Students at Lawrence University in Wisconsin, then worked in the president's office at Michigan State University, where she earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration. Her research focused on faculty engagement in service learning, and her career began to move away from student services.

Her tenure at MSU included roles as Executive Director of Administration at the institution's College of Law and Senior Project Coordinator for MSU's initiative in Dubai. In these positions, she learned about academic governance and leadership at corporate levels. While working on the project in Dubai, which she dubbed "the world's longest commute," Dr. Hammond decided to take advantage of an opportunity at a community college, where she had not worked before, and became the Chief Academic Officer for Northern Central Michigan College.

Dr. Hammond serves on the advisory board of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition and the Advisory Council for the Association of Chief Academic Officers, is a long-standing member of the MI-ACE Network for Women, is a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission, and is a member of the Petoskey Rotary. She especially enjoys mentoring young girls and women.

As she begins her presidency at COD, Dr. Hammond looks forward to drawing upon her extensive experience to help all students succeed.

"We want to make the most of all of our resources for the success of our students," she said. "Degree and certificate completion is an important component of student success, but it is not the only component. It is also about how we provide the best launching platform for students of all ages to move ahead from college."

Dr. Hammond emphasized that her interim status does not mean the College's progress will be put on hold.

"I have great respect for the work I can already see being done at College of DuPage," she said. "In the coming year, I will learn about the aspirations that our campus community has for achieving the next level. It will be a year of opportunity, but we won't do this work alone. We are smarter collectively than individually."

Dr. Christine M. Hammond, College of DuPage Interim President

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Contact: Brian Kleemann
kleeman@cod.edu
(630) 942-2370

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