Schultz tapped to lead SU public service institute

WINCHESTER — Karen Schultz, a longtime Shenandoah University faculty member and former state Senate candidate, has been named director of SU’s Institute for Government and Public Service.

Schultz took on her new role July 1.

Her appointment by university President Tracy Fitzsimmons was enthusiastically endorsed by the institute’s executive committee, which had been searching for a permanent replacement for Bill Shendow, who directed the institute for 10 years. Travis Sample has served as interim director for the past two years.

Sample, a professor of public administration in his 20th year at SU, will return to full-time teaching for the Harry F. Byrd Jr. School of Business.

“I have enjoyed immensely being director of the institute, and I know that we are placing it in very good hands,” Sample says in a press release. “Dr. Schultz has a thorough appreciation of the role and scope of government and the good that can be accomplished through public service.”

Schultz, an associate professor at the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy, earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of William and Mary, an associate’s degree in respiratory care and a master’s in business administration from Shenandoah University, and a Ph.D. from Virginia Tech.

Active at the state level, Schultz is a member of the Virginia Commission on Energy and Environment and was recently appointed by the governor to serve on the Virginia Board of Nursing.

“The institute has a legacy of fostering dialogue between differing points of view and as a place where the community, leaders and students can gather to share ideas,” Schultz says in the release. “I’m excited to focus my energy in this new arena, encouraging teamwork, collective thinking and greater understanding, influencing policy and inspiring students to engage in a deeper level of public service.”

— Daily Staff Report