Wheaton College announced appointment of new provost, Margaret Diddams, who will be the college's first woman in the position in its 150-year history.
An alum of the institution, she serves as a professor and Assistant Provost at Seattle Pacific University at present.
She graduated from Wheaton in 1983, with a bachelor of arts in psychology before moving on to New York University, where she pursued a masters and Ph. D in industrial and organizational psychology.
"She has earned respect across her campus for her wise, relational leadership, and comes to Wheaton with a strong calling to expand its role as a leader in Christian higher education, in the church, and in society," Philip Ryken, college's president was quoted as saying in a Diddams told the Chicago Tribune that it was a privilege for her to come back to Wheaton. "I am the first female (provost) and, yes, I think that is a big deal," she said. After joining the institution, one of her focuses will be on increasing the diversity at the campus. "Growing up in Rogers Park, even 50 years ago, was an incredibly diverse community," she said. "I don't see people as 'the other,' thanks in part to my upbringing." "I fell in love with Wheaton College in 1978 when I arrived on campus for my interview and saw the motto, 'For Christ and His Kingdom,'" Diddams recounts. "At Wheaton, I learned that a robust Christian education grounded in the liberal arts creates networks of knowledge, faith and experience to transform individuals in preparation to serve others. Building on that foundation, I view scholarship and learning as a form of faithfulness and worship." She joined the Seattle Pacific University in 1993 as a faculty, and became the Assistant Provost in July 2010. "As a professor, I have created a faithful and authentic dialogue between Christianity and my field while inviting my students to take part," Diddams said. "In my career as an administrator, I have created structures to strengthen that work for others. I am ready to come home to Wheaton to serve and give back to an institution that has always been precious to me."
