Rose-Hulman Board Names Coons School's 16th President

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (AP) — The trustees of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology have voted unanimously to name Robert Coons as the Terre Haute school's 16th president, effective immediately.

Coons has been serving as acting president since the resignation of Jim Conwell on Nov. 7.

Coons has nearly 30 years of service at Rose-Hulman, most recently as senior vice president and chief administrative officer for the last six years. He also served as interim president during the 2012-13 school year.

Trustees board Chairman Niles Noblitt said Thursday that Coons "has earned the respect of trustees, faculty, staff and alumni, and many encouraged the trustees to select him."

Conwell resigned to focus on a family health matter. He became president in May 2013.

Rose-Hulman has about 2,100 undergraduate students in its science, engineering and mathematics education programs.