M State is pleased to announce Elise Sturdivant as the College’s Vice President for Student Affairs and Dr. Welcoming Mark Bannatyne as Dean of the School of Applied Technology.
In her roles, Sturdivant oversees consulting, enrollment management, marketing, admissions, K-12 collaborations, registration and public relations at M State, and Bannatyne provides strategic instructional leadership and manages course and program offerings for the School of Applied Technology.
“We are pleased to welcome these two diverse and respected leaders in higher education to our team at M State,” said Carrie Brimhall, President of M State. “They come to us with nearly 50 combined years of valuable and applicable college leadership experience, and each brings a wealth of unique knowledge, skills and ideas to the benefit of our college and our students at M State.”
Sturdivant joined M State on August 1 after serving 10 years as Director of Academic Success Partnerships at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti, Michigan. She has 18 years of professional experience in higher education, teaching, and leadership roles in strategic planning, talent management and acquisition, budget management, client relationship management, human resources, grant administration and writing, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
She holds a Masters of Business Administration degree in Strategic Management from Davenport University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sports Management and Communications from the University of Michigan.
Sturdivant has served on a variety of committees and councils including but not limited to: The Center for Education Design, Evaluation, and Research; Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Data Management Team; Community College Relations Advisory Board; Examination board for student affairs and student union; Selection Committee for Future Faculty Scholars; and the Women’s Gender Studies Community Board.
“I’m excited to be here at M State and to work with a great group of faculty, staff and students,” said Sturdivant. “I fully support M State’s vision of ‘A Success Story for Every Student’ and am committed to ensuring student success – at school, at work and everywhere. My priorities as Vice President, Student Affairs include striving for equitable outcomes for all students, working on enrollment management strategic planning, developing guided learning paths and implementing a new mentoring model to fully support students in all aspects of life.”
Bannatyne joined M State on October 3, bringing with him over 30 years of experience as a faculty member, department head and dean. Most recently he was Dean of Technology at Mott Community College in Flint, Michigan; Prior to that, he spent 22 years on the Purdue and Indiana University systems.
He has a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Industrial Technology from Purdue University, a Master of Science in Industrial Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology Education, both from Utah State University. He also holds a Diploma in Machine Tool Technology from the British Columbia Institute of Technology.
Bannatyne has an excellent international reputation in technical education, having served five times as a Fulbright Scholar in Poland and Russia where he introduced new courses and programs in computer graphics technology. He is currently a member of the Fulbright US Selection Committee for Education. In addition, he ran a study abroad program to Europe for 16 years and has spoken at over 85 conferences in countries around the world.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join M State to help advance the School of Applied Technology’s programs to achieve the goals the college has set out to achieve,” said Bannatyne. “M State carries a wonderful vision for professional and technical education that will serve our state and nation well for years to come.”
A member of the Minnesota state college and university system, M State offers credit courses in 70 career and liberal arts programs to more than 7,000 students each year online and at its Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Moorhead and Wadena campuses. Through partnerships with communities, the college also offers staff development services and other engaging training programs.
