Atlanta — May 31, 2000

Four finalists for president of Armstrong Atlantic State University were announced today by the Board of Regents and University System of Georgia Chancellor Stephen R. Portch.

The finalists, in alphabetical order, are as follows:

• Dr. Thomas F. Armstrong, provost and senior vice president, professor of history at Texas Wesleyan University, in Fort Worth. Armstrong has held his current post since 1995. From 1995 to 1998, he also served as the institution’s chief financial officer. Armstrong previously spent 10 years (1983 to 1993) at Georgia College & State University, including as dean at the School of Arts and Sciences. Armstrong holds B.A. and M.A. degrees in history from the University of Colorado, and a Ph.D. in American Social/Southern History from the University of Virginia.

• Dr. Thomas Z. Jones, vice president for academic affairs, Columbus State University, Columbus, Ga. Jones has served in his current role since 1988. Previously, Jones was at the West Virginia Institute of Technology, in Montgomery, for 13 years in several capacities: assistant professor of physics, chair of the Division of Engineering Technologies and chair of the Department of Mining. He also served as the Westmoreland Professor of Mining, dean of the College of Technology and Applied Science, and as vice president for academic affairs. Jones holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from Fairmont State College, a master’s in geology from West Virginia State University, and a Ph.D. in geology from Miami University (Oxford, Ohio).

• Dr. Steven K. Pontius, vice president for academic affairs, Austin Peay State University, Clarksville, Tenn., (since 1996). Previously, he spent 19 years at Radford University, Va., moving from assistant to full professor. At Radford, Pontius’ administrative posts included serving as chair of the Department of Geography and dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Pontius holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in geography from Indiana University, in Bloomington, and a Ph.D. in geography from the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis.

• Dr. James J. Scanlon, provost and professor of English, Youngstown State University, Ohio. Scanlon has served as Youngstown’s provost since 1993. Previously, he served as dean of the College of Arts and Science at Clarion University of Pennsylvania. Prior to that, Scanlon served as associate to the provost for academic planning at Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau. His career includes being an assistant professor of English at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and chairperson of both introductory poetry and drama courses and director of freshman rhetoric. Scanlon holds a Ph.D. in English from Brown, and an A.B. in English from Manhattan College, in Bronx, NY.

The Board of Regents is expected to make the appointment during its June 14 meeting.

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