UTRGV’s Grewal Named First President of Vermont State University
The Board of Trustees of the Vermont State Colleges System announced Monday that Dr. Parwinder Grewal has accepted the position of inaugural president at Vermont State University (VSU), effective July 1, 2022.
VSU, comprised of the current Castleton University, Northern Vermont University, and Vermont Technical College, will be the first statewide, hybrid institution in the United States. VSU will welcome its first class in Fall 2023.
UTRGV President Guy Bailey said the service and leadership Grewal provided throughout his time at UTRGV, especially during the university’s transformative years, made him the perfect candidate for this presidency.
“We are extremely proud of Parwinder being named president of Vermont State University,” Bailey said. “What Vermont State will experience over the next few years, will be very similar to what UTRGV experienced early on. Parwinder has been instrumental to the success UTRGV has experienced throughout our existence, and I have no doubt that he will be a great leader for Vermont State as they prepare for a similar transition.”
Grewal joined UTRGV in 2015 as the inaugural dean of the College of Sciences and was named Executive Vice President for Research, Graduate Studies, and New Program Development in April 2018. He currently serves as Special Assistant to the President.
“While I am honored and excited about my appointment as the Inaugural President of the Vermont State University, I will dearly miss the UTRGV community,” Grewal said. “I will particularly miss the many faculty, staff, students, and community members with whom I had the opportunity to work with. UTRGV has experienced tremendous growth since its founding in 2015, and I have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to be part of its success story.”
In 2020, the Vermont State Colleges System embarked on a period of transformation to unify Castleton University, Northern Vermont University, and Vermont Technical College into a single accredited entity by July 1, 2023, with administrative transformation and physical transformation over the next five years.
When fully transitioned, the Vermont State Colleges system will be comprised of Vermont State University and the Community College of Vermont (CCV). The new University will increase the reach of learning opportunities for all learners, fueling Vermont’s economic pipeline, and creating opportunities for learners of all ages who would otherwise lack access to affordable higher education opportunities.