Aug 24, 2015 |
Robert Van Wicklin has been named vice president for Advancement at St. Bonaventure University, President Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., announced today.
Van Wicklin begins work Sept. 7, but will attend Convocation on Wednesday, Aug. 26.
Van Wicklin previously served as assistant dean for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement at the University at Buffalo School of Dental Medicine and vice president for Advancement at Houghton College.
“It’s a real privilege to join Sister Margaret and the St. Bonaventure team to help build closer ties between the university and its alumni and friends,” Van Wicklin said. “Bonnies are woven into every aspect of society in Western New York and around the world. I look forward to getting out and meeting as many of them as possible.”
Prior to his work in higher education, Van Wicklin spent 17 years (1992-2009) working in various positions — legislative, communications, political and management — in Washington, D.C., for two congressmen from New York’s Southern Tier: Rep. Amo Houghton Jr. and Rep. John R. Kuhl Jr.
“Bob has been a partner to St. Bonaventure in the past during his service to congressmen Houghton and Kuhl,” said Sr. Margaret. “We are delighted that he will be bringing his talents and relationship-building gifts to our Advancement team, and we’re eager to introduce him to the Bonaventure family of more than 26,000 alumni and friends worldwide.”
During his tenure on Capitol Hill, Van Wicklin shepherded several pieces of legislation from concept to public law, authored and managed numerous resolutions to passage through the House of Representatives and Senate, and was responsible for amending many pieces of legislation in various committees and on the House floor.
He traveled to more than 60 nations in various professional capacities, from organizing and leading Congressional Delegations to serving on United Nations-led Election Observation Missions in Africa and Central America.
As an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve, Van Wicklin was deployed to Mazar-e Sharif, Afghanistan, as executive officer of the Regional Command North’s Multi-Fusion Cell, a diverse group of U.S. and international (NATO) intelligence professionals serving in the combat zone.
Prior to that, he served at the Pentagon in the office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (J2), as an analyst on the Defense Intelligence Agency’s Afghanistan-Pakistan Task Force. His most recent assignment was at the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center at Naval Air Station Fallon in Nevada as an intelligence trainer.
Van Wicklin received his bachelor’s degree in 1992 from Houghton College, and his master’s degree in 2004 from the Naval War College in Newport, R.I.
While at Houghton as an undergraduate, Van Wicklin was an Army ROTC military science cadet and spent a great deal of time at St. Bonaventure for training exercises.
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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, we believe in the goodness of every person and in the ability of every person to do extraordinary things. St. Bonaventure University cultivates graduates who are confident and creative communicators, collaborative leaders and team members, and innovative problem solvers who are respectful of themselves, others, and the diverse world around them. Named the #3 best college value in the North by U.S. News and World Report, we are establishing pathways to internships, graduate schools and careers in the context of our renowned liberal arts tradition. Our students are becoming extraordinary.