NEW LEADERS
CONFIDENT COURAGE
President Christopher Callahan leads Pacific into a new era It wasn’t the traditional start to a presidency. When Christopher Callahan took the helm at University of the Pacific in July 2020, he arrived to an all but empty campus. Nearly all students, faculty and staff were working and learning remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Callahan and his wife, First Lady Jean Callahan, had been eager to get to know their new community after moving from Arizona, where he served for 15 years as the founding dean of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University. His first priority was keeping the university connected and providing students the personalized attention and services that would help them succeed despite being apart. “Chris has been the right leader for Pacific during this time,” said Norman Allen ’88, ’94, chair of Pacific's Board of Regents. “His ability to communicate well and inspire others despite not being in-person is strong. His background in communications, media and social media has allowed him to stay connected to the Pacific community and lead us during the pandemic.”
KEEPING THE COMMUNITY CONNECTED Callahan has hosted monthly town hall conversations with faculty, staff, students, parents, families and alumni throughout the past year and a half to answer questions, address concerns and discuss his vision for moving the university forward. “President Callahan really has made an effort to be accessible despite the pandemic
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and has worked incredibly hard to keep everyone engaged,” said Scout CooperWilson ’22, Associated Students of University of the Pacific president. “Seeing him put in the hours to make himself available shows his dedication and passion for the university.” Callahan also tapped his vast connections to provide an extensive portfolio of remote learning experiences, called “Leading Voices,” featuring global experts speaking on key topics. Some of the speakers included PBS anchor Judy Woodruff, CNN politics host John King and Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll ’73, ’78. “During the past year there have been so many open dialogues occurring at every level of the university,” said Courtney Lehmann, professor of English. “It really has brought a new kind of cohesiveness that I haven't seen in 24 years at Pacific and I feel the energy of our university gathering momentum.” The virtual platform provided alumni who live across the nation or globe—and who sometimes find it difficult to stay connected to the university—the opportunity to be involved. "I think we had a tremendous response last year to our online platform, which really gave us an opportunity to engage with a new set of alumni," said Erin Mettler '01, former Pacific Alumni Association president. "President Callahan spearheaded the effort to keep everyone connected and reminded our alumni they are still an integral part of our Pacific community."
President Christopher Callahan can often be seen talking with students, and attending student and athletics events
