The Institute for Shipboard Education today announced the retirement of Dr. Loren Crabtree, effective August 31, 2017. Dr. Crabtree’s retirement comes as ISE has successfully completed its move to academic home Colorado State University, is nearing a long-term agreement on its operating vessel, the MV World Odyssey, and has seen the past three voyages at full capacity. Board member Tom Hudnut, an experienced educational executive, will serve as interim ISE President/CEO until Dr. Gary Ransdell assumes his role as full-time president/CEO on January 1, 2018.
Dr. Crabtree will continue to serve as a consultant to ISE in retirement to ensure a smooth transition between leadership. Since coming out of retirement in 2015, Dr. Crabtree has guided ISE through a period of unparalleled growth and opportunity. He successfully navigated the transition from the University of Virginia to Colorado State University, relocated ISE’s headquarters to a new LEED-certified headquarters in Fort Collins, negotiated the charter of the MV World Odyssey, and built a leadership team of unparalleled quality and commitment, including the selection of next President Gary Ransdell. With these key strategic goals successfully implemented, Dr. Crabtree is now able to return to his much-deserved retirement.
“Dr. Loren Crabtree’s extraordinary efforts have positioned Semester at Sea for a bright future,” said Sara Kutler, chair of the board of trustees. “On behalf of our SAS alumni and future SAS students, the Board of Trustees expresses its profound gratitude to Dr. Crabtree for his exemplary service and remarkable contributions to Semester at Sea.”
As a consultant to ISE, Dr. Crabtree will continue his legacy with the Semester at Sea program. He has successively served as a founding member of the current Board of Trustees, a distinguished member of the faculty, Executive Dean, Senior Fellow and Chief Executive for Global Education, Interim President and CEO, and Chief Academic Officer and Vice President.
Interim President Tom Hudnut brings ISE decades of education experience, including 36 years as president/CEO of Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles, a perennial top-ranked school nationally with over 300 faculty and staff and a $75 million operating budget. More recently, Hudnut has worked as a search consultant with Resource Group 175 and chaired the board of the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation in addition to work with Deep Springs College, the Good Hope Medical Foundation, Los Angeles World Affairs Council, and Semester At Sea. A trustee of ISE/SAS since January of 2014, Tom served as chair of the Advancement Committee and chaired the Presidential Search Committee that selected Gary Ransdell as next President.
“I am honored to lead this great organization and serve between two inspirational leaders,” said Hudnut. “My goal is to maintain the operational excellence of a study abroad program that transforms lives and redefines global education.”
The Fall 2017 Voyage of Semester at Sea will embark from Bremerhaven, Germany, on Sept. 9, 2017, with a full complement of faculty and staff and at-capacity student enrollment. Dr. Gary Ransdell was named the president/CEO of ISE on Feb. 8, 2017, and will work with Dr. Crabtree and Hudnut until assuming the role full-time on Jan. 1.
