UNT Dallas Campus selects new deputy vice provost, names first director of finance and administration

DALLAS – The University of North Texas Dallas Campus has selected Peter Pincemin Johnstone, chief academic officer of Penn State University’s Abington College in Philadelphia, to serve as its new deputy vice provost. Maxine Rogers, vice chancellor for administration and finance with the Baton Rouge Community College System, has also been named the campus’ first director of finance and administration.

Vice Chancellor John Ellis Price, chief executive officer of the UNT Dallas Campus, said the appointments round out the campus’ executive leadership team, which will ultimately be responsible for transitioning the campus from a satellite of the UNT flagship in Denton to Dallas’ first four-year, public university.
“We had a rich and diverse pool of applicants for both positions,” Price said. “The candidates selected were the best fit for the mission and vision of our campus. Both Dr. Johnstone and Maxine Rogers are experienced administrators in higher education. I believe they will well serve our students and the citizens of Dallas and the surrounding communities in North Texas.”

Johnstone, a noted author and professor of criminal justice specializing in white collar crime in Europe, is originally from the United Kingdom. There, he attended London Guildhall University, where he received a bachelor of arts degree in legal studies and an earned doctorate in criminal justice. He also attended the University of Sussex, where he earned a master of laws degree in international criminal law. He held teaching posts at the University of Northampton and London Guildhall University.

When he arrived in the United States eight years ago, he served as professor of criminology at Barton College in North Carolina, and later as a professor of criminology, department chair, and associate dean in the College of Human Ecology at East Carolina University.

Johnstone said the UNT Dallas Campus presents an opportunity unlikely to recur in his lifetime – that of founding a major public university in a large American city.

“The opportunities to make an impact on the climate of higher education in North Texas really are unparalleled,” Johnstone said. “I consider it a privilege to be chosen as a part of the effort to raise the high school graduation and college-going rates in Dallas through programs such as Early College High School, and through the formation of new undergraduate academic programs that capture students’ interests and respond to market demand.”

Johnstone said he will begin his duties at the UNT Dallas Campus by providing leadership in developing policies that will make the campus’ transition to four-year status easier. He also said he looks forward to “expanding the horizons” of students in Dallas through international education and “niche” academic programs.

“International education is of utmost importance to me,” Johnstone said. “In today’s global climate, it is an indispensable asset for each student who has had the opportunity to travel abroad. Together with this emphasis, we also will be searching for ways to establish new academic programs that will lead students toward burgeoning career fields such as human services management, health care management, education, and the sciences.”

Rogers, who has served the community college system in Baton Rouge since 2002, said the UNT Dallas Campus would not only develop outwardly, but inwardly as well. Her job, she said, will be to develop a solid system of financial governance that will ensure the growth of the future UNT Dallas for years to come. At the Baton Rouge system, she assisted with the oversight of a six-building, $73 million construction project. She also coordinated and developed a $22 million budget for the campus, which opened its doors in 1998 and now has more than 6,600 students.

“I believe that the financial resources of a university are a sacred trust,” Rogers said. “The community and the state expect that we provide rigorous oversight of the resources devoted to us in the state’s budget. The UNT Dallas Campus has always fared well financially under the leadership of Dr. John Ellis Price, and I intend to help carry on that tradition.”

Rogers attended Prairie View A&M University, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration. She also received an MBA from Amberton University (formerly Amber University) in Garland, Texas, and attended the College Business Management Institute at the University of Kentucky.

Prior to her position with the Baton Rouge system, Rogers was vice president for business services at Brookhaven College, a component of the Dallas County Community College District. She also was dean of financial affairs and director of business operations there. She previously served at Northlake and El Centro colleges, and at the district office of the Dallas County Community College District.

“Much of my life has been devoted to educating the citizens of Dallas, and I am proud to be returning to the city I call ‘home,'” Rogers said. “I look forward to utilizing my skills and experience to contribute in making the future UNT Dallas a thriving success.”

Johnstone will assume his duties July 1. Rogers will begin her employment with the university July 7.