North Dakota State College of Science President Dr. John Richman announced his retirement to the College community Wednesday, effective December 17, 2021.
“After 42 years in higher education, and 35 years of that spent at NDSCS, it feels like the right time to retire,” Richman said in a press release. “I am very thankful to have spent the majority of my career at NDSCS and could not be prouder of the mission-focused institution it is today.
“It is the dedicated people and their commitment to our students which makes the College a special place, and I look forward to watching NDSCS thrive into the future.”
Richman first came to NDSCS as a student in the early 1970s. He returned in 1986 as the Head Football Coach and through the years has been an instructor in the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department, the Director of Athletics, and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs.
Richman then served as interim President for one year and was appointed the ninth president by the State Board of Higher Education in February of 2007.
During his time at NDSCS, Richman has led the college through innovative and purposeful change, enabling NDSCS to be recognized as one of the premier two-year colleges in the U.S.
Notably, he facilitated NDSCS’s high performance and strong student outcomes by implementing initiatives to expand access to Career and Technical Education to high schools, improving the College’s fiscal position through budget alignment and increasing the NDSCS Alumni Foundation’s endowment to $28 million, diversifying workforce training opportunities, creating efficient and affordable career pathways for students while simultaneously striving to meet the workforce needs of North Dakota and the region, and advancing capital improvements to enhance the learning spaces at both NDSCS locations.
“Dr. Richman has served NDSCS in multiple roles for decades, and as President with unparalleled energy and dedication for close to 15 years. We wish him and Marcia the very best as they embark on the next phase of life’s journey,” said North Dakota University System Chancellor Mark R. Hagerott.
His leadership has been recognized several times, in 2016 he was presented with the NASPA Region IV-West Presidential Excellence Award for continually demonstrating his passion and commitment to supporting students’ success; he was named a Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) Distinguished Alumnus in 2009; received the Associated Equipment Distributors Founders award in 2011 and the NC3 Founders award in 2016, and has been inducted into both the NDSCS and MSUM Athletic Halls of Fame.