DSU President Williams Establishes New Kirkwood Facility Task Force

Friday, September 23, 2011

DSU President Harry L. Williams has established a new task force to study the possible academic uses of a newly acquired facility in New Castle County.

The former Robert Kirkwood Memorial U.S. Army Reserve Center west of Wilmington on Kirkwood Highway had been identified as a federal surplus real property that could be converted to an educational purpose. As the result of DSU’s application to acquire the property, the U.S. Department of Education awarded the property to the University in June 2011.

Dr. Williams has now established a nine-member DSU @ Kirkwood Planning Task Force to study the possible academic uses of the building. The task force members are:

Dr. Sheldon Rhodes (Task Force chair), dean of the College of Business
Dr. Samuel Besong, chair of the Department of Human Ecology
Lillie Crawford, director of the Center for Enterprise Development
Tamara Crump, executive director of Continuing Education.
Chief Harry Downes Jr., director of Public Safety
Dr. Sheridan Quarles Kingsberry, associate professor of social work
Amir Mohammadi, executive vice president of Finance and Administration
Dr. Steve Newton, professor of history
Vita Pickrum, associate vice president of Development
Dr. Hanson Umoh, chair of the Department of Mathematics
Genevieve Tighe (Ex Officio), assistant vice president of Academic Affairs/Institutional Effectiveness

The DSU Kirkwood Planning Task Force will determine the types of programs, educational opportunities, activities, partnerships with business, industry and professional organizations and agencies that would benefit the citizens of the greater Wilmington and New Castle County area in connection with that facility. It is expected that the group will be soliciting input from constituent groups.

The Task Force’s final report and recommendations are to be submitted to Provost Alton Thompson by April 30, 2012.