On Wednesday, Oct. 15, the University System of New Hampshire (USNH) Board of Trustees met to decide who the interim leadership for Keene State will be going forward. The announcement comes after President Melinda Treadwell confirmed her resignation from the college on September 16 to take on the presidency at the State University of New York (SUNY) Geneseo.
Moving forward, Plymouth State University (PSU) President Donald Birx will act as the president for both colleges. Additionally, Interim Provost Kirsti Sandy and Executive Vice President of Finance and Administration Nathalie Houder have been assigned to cover day-to-day operations at Keene State.
Birx is set to serve as the president for both institutions up until June 30, 2026.
The announcement was sent out by USNH Chancellor Cathy Provencher via email to the campus community on Thursday, Oct. 16.
The message from the chancellor stressed the sharing of resources and the close relationship between the respective campuses, while maintaining the identities that both colleges have forged. The possibility of continuing to share services between campuses and furthering the relationships between the separate institutions in the system was also included.
Donald Birx was sworn in as the 15th president of PSU on July 31, 2015. Prior to his time at PSU, Birx also worked as vice chancellor and vice president for research at the University of Houston. During his tenure at UH, Birx worked to found the Center for Industrial Partnerships, which was “a joint endeavor to translate research to practical applications and increase interplay between the business community and the university’s research faculty,” according to the PSU website.
Treadwell’s resignation will take effect on October 24, 2025, following the USNH Board of Trustees’ meeting at KSC.
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