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MINOT, N.D. (AP) — Former Valley City State University President Steven Shirley has taken the reins at Minot State University.
Shirley began his tenure as the northern North Dakota school's ninth president on Tuesday. He succeeds David Fuller, who retired at the end of June from the century-old school that has about 3,500 students.
Shirley spent six years as president of Valley City State in southeastern North Dakota, after working at Dakota State University in South Dakota and the University of Minnesota, Crookston. He said he is excited to be in a new community and has been preparing for his new role since the state Board of Higher Education chose him as Minot State's new leader in February.
"Minot State University is a fantastic university, this is a wonderful community, and every time you come back, you just, I think, sense and realize that a little bit more," Shirley said. "So coming to work now the last couple of days has just really kind of engrained and reinforced those feelings."
Shirley holds undergraduate, master's and doctoral degrees from the University of North Dakota. He beat out 36 other candidates for the Minot State job.
Fuller retired after 10 years with the school. He led the university through the 2011 Souris River flood, helped it develop a strategic plan and led it through the transition from NAIA athletics to the NCAA Division II ranks.
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