Biography
Dr. Joe Gow
became the 10th Chancellor of UW-La Crosse in February of 2007.
Previously, he served as both the Interim President (2006) and
Provost (2004-2006) of Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln.
And earlier in his career Chancellor Gow was the Dean of the
College of Liberal Arts at Minnesota’s Winona State University
(2001-2004), as well as both the Associate Dean of Liberal Arts
& Sciences (1996-2001) and the Director of the Communication
Studies Program (1990-2001) at Alfred University in Upstate New
York. While at Alfred he was a three-time recipient of the
Alfred University Excellence in Teaching Award.
Chancellor
Gow received his B.A. degree in Journalism from Penn State in
1982; his M.A. in Speech Communication from the University of
Alabama in 1985; and his Ph.D. in Speech Communication from Penn
State in 1989. He also completed the Management Development
Program at the Harvard University Graduate School of Education
in 1998.
Throughout his
administrative career, Chancellor Gow has consistently furthered
liberal arts and professional academic programs to enhance
student success. He has a wealth of experience from both
public and private universities in strategic planning,
enrollment management, external relations, and fundraising.
Dr. Gow also has led efforts to redesign curricula, strengthen
shared governance, and promote highly inclusive and diverse
campus communities.
Chancellor Gow has served as the President of the National
Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences and as a member of the
editorial board of the journal
Popular Music and Society.
He has authored a number of publications on popular music and
news media, and serves on the boards of several civic
organizations in the La Crosse area. In his spare
time he is a guitarist and blues singer. The chancellor also is
a vegan and runner.