New Vice Presidents Named

This past summer, President Matt Wilson announced the filling of two open vice president positions and two new vice presidential positions. Dr. Doug Davenport, associate provost of research, planning and institutional effectiveness, had been serving as interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs for the past year. He was named provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. R. Todd Simpson was hired as the vice president for University Advancement and executive director of the MWSU Foundation.

Dr. Josh Looney, who had been serving as director of Athletics since 2017, was named vice president of Intercollegiate Athletics. And Sarah M. R. Cravens, J.D., was hired as vice president for Strategic Initiatives and Chief of Staff.

As associate provost, Dr. Davenport has overseen Missouri Western’s accreditation efforts, including the reaffirmation of accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission in 2017. He also led the team that authored Missouri Western’s new strategic plan, “Pathways to Excellence.” In the past year, his office has launched several initiatives to advance the strategic plan, including the Center for Teaching & Learning and the Provost’s Fellows Program.    

Prior to joining Missouri Western, R. Todd Simpson had been serving as chief
executive officer of the Peru State College Foundation since 2010. Under Simpson’s leadership, annual giving doubled and identified estate gifts topped $20 million.He holds a Master of Science in Organizational Management from Peru State College and a BSBA from the University of Central Missouri. Simpson has been a Certified Fund Raising Executive since 1998.

Prior to joining Missouri Western, Dr. Looney was director of athletics at East Stroudsburg University for

two years. He also served as associate director of NCAA Division II and worked for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Orlando Magic. Dr. Looney earned a bachelor’s degree in business from Washburn University, an MBA from the University of Missouri-Kansas City and a doctorate in Interdisciplinary Education from Creighton University.

Prior to joining Missouri Western, Cravens was the C. Blake McDowell Jr.

Professor of Law at the University of Akron School of Law. She previously served as the vice provost for strategic initiatives and interim dean of the Williams Honor College.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in classics from Princeton University, a master’s in classics from Cambridge University, U.K., and a juris doctorate from Washington and Lee University School of Law.