By Kaitlyn Cook
What do you think about Graceland University’s newest and 19th President, Dr. Joel
Shrock?
Shrock joined Graceland in 2022, as President of Academic Affairs, choosing Graceland because of the passion and spirit he feels here. He stepped in as interim president over the summer of 2024, after former president Dr. Patricia Draves had decided to accept the offer to be president at Monmouth College. Shrock embraced his time as interim president and will continue to embrace his love for Graceland as president.
Professors from various departments are excited about the change and expressed their opinions on Shrock.
Dr. Jake McGinnis of the Humanities says, “[Shrock is] the kind of person who stops by faculty offices to check in and say hello.”
Dr. Mary Shawgo, biology professor and Natural Sciences Chair, noted Shrock's high energy and positivity. She appreciates his readiness to take on several unfinished initiatives that were started before his time at Graceland.
Karen Gergely, associate professor of Art, also expressed her faith in Shrock as a strong leader, saying, “After working with Joel for the past 2 years, I am confident that he places a strong value on the liberal arts, he is invested in faculty, staff, and students, and has a strong vision on how to lead our university forward.”
Many students on campus have also stated that they like him, and few have some concerns. Students across campus have described him as “a cool and nice guy” and they love how often he attends student events and activities, noting his often “President’s Walkabout” posts on his Instagram.
The few concerns listed about Shrock were that he has only been here for a few years and may not fully understand Graceland’s broad and unique culture yet.
Though he is relatively new, Shrock has a lot of love for the Graceland community and will surely be a great president throughout his time here.
Photos courtesy of Graceland Marketing.
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