Dr. Peter Linden Named New Provost and Vice President for Instruction and Student Services

Peter Linden, Ph.D., has been named Kalamazoo Valley Community College’s new provost and vice president for instruction and student services, it was announced Tuesday by college president L. Marshall Washington, Ph.D.

Linden, who now serves as chancellor of the Michigan City campus of Ivy Tech in Indiana, will assume his new position on July 8.

Washington said, “Dr. Linden brings a wealth of experience to his new position at Kalamazoo Valley. His experience in instruction, curriculum, student success and administration made him a perfect choice.” Linden succeeds Dr. Dennis Bertch who retired in December. He was chosen from a field of dozens of candidates after a national search.

Linden has a Ph.D. in higher education and policy leadership from Loyola University Chicago. He also holds a Master’s degree in business administration from North Park University, a Bachelor of Science in business and management from Northeastern Illinois University and an associate degree in occupational studies from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York.

As an educator and administrator in higher education, Linden said he lives by one motto, one that he hopes his colleagues at Kalamazoo Valley will embrace as well: “We are here to serve our students.”

In his new role, Linden sees himself as a bridge-builder and a relationship-builder. He said he plans “to introduce and promote programs that are going to add to the economy of the region by way of workforce development.” He hopes to do this by collaborating with high schools, area businesses and other community partners to address the skills gap that currently exists in local industries.

Prior to Ivy Tech, Linden served as academic dean of career and technical education at Joliet Junior College. “Community colleges offer more options, more affordable prices and are more responsive to the needs of the community,” he said.