Presidential Search

Michael D. Shonrock, Ph.D.

Candidate for the President of Emporia State University

Prior to his appointment at Texas Tech University as Senior Vice President for auxiliary services, enrollment management, and student affairs, and Associate Professor of Educational Psychology and Leadership, Shonrock earned two graduate degrees from the great state of Kansas – a Ph.D. from the University of Kansas and an Ed.S. from Pittsburg State University. A native of Chicago, Illinois, Shonrock is a Distinguished Alumnus of Western Illinois University, where he earned M.S. and B.S. degrees. He is a recipient of the Texas Tech University College of Education Friends of Education Award, the Office of International Affairs Global Vision Award, the Student Government Association Double T Award and Will Rogers Award, the Texas Tech Parent’s Association Distinguished Service Award, and the Texas Association of Student Personnel Administrators Distinguished Service Award.

During his tenure as Senior Vice President at Texas Tech, Shonrock has overseen the largest, most diverse, and most qualified enrollment growth in the history of the university, $200 million in division-wide new construction and renovations, a $130 million annual division operating budget, and a $10 million merit and need-based scholarship campaign, while serving on the University SACS Accreditation Council, the University Strategic Planning Council, the Banner Executive Steering Committee, the University Budget Working Group, chairing the University Strategic Enrollment Planning Council, and chairing the Auxiliary Facilities Master Planning Committee. Based on projected enrollment growth, he commissioned the first-ever economic impact study and the first-ever public/private partnership feasibility study for Texas Tech University, with findings of a $500 million impact on the Lubbock economy by the year 2020 and a $100 million private investment in the university. His division has been awarded the 2011 Noel-Levitz Marketing and Recruitment Excellence Award and the Achievement of Excellence Award for Outstanding Work Assessing Student Learning and Development by the Council for the Advancement of Standards in Higher Education.

A Distinguished Alumnus of Leadership Lubbock, Shonrock serves on the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and has recently been appointed Co-Chair of the new Community Visioning Campaign charged with developing the first-ever community-wide strategic planning process. As a member of the Lubbock Area United Way Board of Directors, he has served as both Chair of the Board and Campaign Chair, raising $4.75 million to support twenty-two community partner agencies.  His collaboration with the Gallup organization and implementation of a division-wide strength’s-based philosophy has resulted in his invitation to the Gallup University Executive StrengthsQuest and Q12 Elements of Great Managing roundtables. In support of the Texas Tech University SACS Accreditation Quality Enhancement Plan, Shonrock launched a values campaign in partnership with The Foundation for a Better Life and the Student Government Association, now being replicated at over 300 colleges and universities. He has participated in institutes including the Harvard Center for Management Research Strategies for Enhancing Executive Leadership and the Harvard Graduate School of Education Institute for Educational Management.

Michael, and his wife Karen, look forward to visiting Emporia State University.