Winthrop University to vote on interim president following Dan Mahony resignation
Winthrop University is set to vote on an interim leader following President Dan Mahony’s resignation.
George W. Hynd has been selected to lead the Rock Hill university, and Winthrop’s board of trustees will vote on his appointment Friday, a release from the college states. If approved, Hynd will serve from March 1, 2020 to June 30, 2022.
Mahony, who has led Winthrop since July 2015, announced his resignation in December. He has accepted the presidential role in the Southern Illinois University System, which serves more than 28,000 students on multiple campuses throughout the state. He starts his new role on March 1, 2020.
Hynd comes to Winthrop from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he served as the interim dean of the College of of Arts and Sciences and interim provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, a release from Winthrop states.
From 2014 to 2017, Hynd was president of Oakland University in Michigan, which serves 20,000 students. He also held a leadership position at the College of Charleston from 2010-14, according to Winthrop.
Winthrop wanted someone with experience leading a public university, a strong academic background, knowledge of strategic planning and ability to work with athletics at a non-football school, Winthrop board chair Glenn McCall said in the release.
“After reviewing applications and talking to a diverse group of candidates, I’m pleased to say that George Hynd fulfilled most all of the criteria voiced by our campus community and that he strongly desires an interim role to assist Winthrop as we plan for our future,” McCall said in a prepared statement.
During Hynd’s tenure at Oakland University, the school constructed a $78 million, 750-bed student residence and completed a $46 million renovation of the student center, the release states. Hynd also established a partnership with the City of Pontiac that continues today.
At the College of Charleston, Hynd led the development of new academic programs, including creating an African-American studies major, the release states.
Hynd worked as a clinical child neurophyschologist and has “maintained a career-long interest in the genetic and neurobiological factors that influence fetal brain development in ways that put children at risk for later emergence of learning, behavioral and psychiatric problems,” the release states.
Hynd and his wife, Alison, a child neuropsychologist, have two daughters. Their daughter Erin is attending the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston and Elise recently graduated from the University of Georgia, according to Winthrop.
Hynd also has two children from a previous marriage. April lives in Hawaii and Brian lives in Oregon.
This story was originally published January 29, 2020 at 4:33 PM.
