Bowling Green President Named to Top Position

John Waynick, president of undergraduate student government, said Ribeau was a frequent presence on campus, attending many student activities and even breaking into a dance with his wife at one. "It is clear that he works for the students," Waynick said.

Said Professor Patrick Pauken, the immediate past chairman of Bowling Green's Faculty Senate: "He turns a 21,000-student university into something that feels like a family." He added that the president and the Faculty Senate had very good relations.

Ribeau is credited with leading major academic reforms at Bowling Green that resulted in nationally recognized residential learning communities in which faculty have offices and classrooms in student residence halls and lead activities that take students into the community to help others.

"Universities traditionally reward the discovery of new knowledge," said Bob Midden, an associate professor of chemistry. "President Ribeau has been instrumental in helping to shift the focus to recognition of work that is aimed at applying new knowledge to the benefit of society."

Ribeau led a capital campaign that reached its goal of $120 million a year early and is approaching $130 million. Colleagues said he does not like to go glad-handing for money, but he doesn't have to because people like to give to Bowling Green when they find out how warm and caring he is.

Before Bowling Green, Ribeau was vice president for academic affairs at California Polytechnic State University in Pomona and professor of communication studies at California State University at Los Angeles.

He received a bachelor's degree in English and speech education from Wayne State University in 1971 and master's and doctoral degrees in interpersonal and group communications from the University of Illinois.

Swygert, who will preside over his final Howard graduation Saturday, is credited with calming a campus that had seen a succession of leaders when he arrived. University officials said he also completed a $250 million capital campaign -- a Howard record -- and helped revitalize the nearby LeDroit Park neighborhood.

Swygert could not be reached for comment.