HHP honors outgoing Dean Glen Gilbert
Family, friends, faculty and staff from the College of Health and Human Performance and across East Carolina University and beyond celebrated Glen Gilbert’s service to ECU at a ceremony Dec. 7 in the Murphy Center.
Gilbert has led the college for 18 years, the longest serving dean at ECU. The college is one of the largest on campus and includes the departments of health education and promotion, human development and family science, interior design and merchandising, kinesiology, recreation and leisure studies, social work and ECU’s Air Force and Army ROTC units.
Dean Glen Gilbert (Photos by Crystal Baity)
An educator for more than 50 years, Gilbert joined ECU in 1997 as chair of the Department of Health Education and Promotion. Through the years, he served in many leadership roles including as interim vice chancellor for research and graduate studies and interim vice chancellor for advancement. He received the James R. Talton Leadership Award earlier this year. Gilbert will leave the HHP dean’s post later this month.
“It goes by pretty fast,” Gilbert said. “I often say I’m a dean of ‘do-gooders.’ They do so much that they make me look good. The reason I stayed so long is because of all of you.”
He thanked his wife, Rose, and his children Jessica, Jennifer and Jeffrey for their constant support. Daughter Jennifer, who is a makeup and hair designer aboard Disney Dream, couldn’t attend but videoed a special message to her father. His oldest, Jessica, flew 3,000 miles from Oregon.
To recognize Gilbert’s extraordinary leadership and service, the HHP Advancement Council has established a new student scholarship in his name. It will be awarded to a student who demonstrates leadership potential and academic achievement.
Among the many accolades, awards and gifts, Susan McGhee, who retired earlier this year as associate dean of the college, presented Gilbert with a Centennial Leadership Medallion.
Lt. Col. April Wimmer, professor of aerospace studies and commander of the ECU Air Force ROTC program, presented Gilbert a framed flag that flew over Afghanistan.
Left to right, Jessica Gilbert Beck, Rose Gilbert, Glen Gilbert, and Jeff and Francesca Gilbert following the reception.
Attendees were encouraged to post from the ceremony at #ECUHHPThanksDeanGilbert, which lit up the Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium scoreboard throughout the evening.
-by Crystal Baity, ECU News Services