WWU hires Ming Zhang as director of Institutional Research

Ming Zhang will be the new director of Institutional Research at Western Washington University.

Zhang, now the director of Institutional Research at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Ariz., will begin his new duties at Western in May. Zhang has a doctorate in Resource Economics from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu.

“I believe that Professor Zhang is the right person to take over leadership of our Office of Institutional Research and anticipate that he will provide highly capable and effective service to the University,” said Catherine Riordan, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Western.

Prior to his current position, Zhang served as senior statistical analyst, senior programmer/analyst and then as director of Institutional Analysis at Colorado State University. He also previously served as director of Market Research for SMS Research and Marketing Services in Honolulu and as a statistician/economist for the University of Hawaii at Manoa.. He also was a senior lecturer in Economics at Renmin University, in Beijing, China.

“Ming was by far the most qualified candidate we interviewed. His leadership experience and analytical expertise make him a perfect fit for our Institutional Research office,” said Steven VanderStaay, vice provost for Undergraduate Education.

Zhang said he is delighted “to have been asked to develop a comprehensive program of institutional research supporting the University’s mission and strategic initiatives.”

“I’m excited to be coming to an institution with the vision of becoming the premier public comprehensive university in the country. I look forward to joining the campus community and having an opportunity to help turn the vision into reality,” Zhang said.

Western’s Office of Institutional Research plays a key role in important policy decisions made at the university. Responsible for developing a mission and vision for institutional research, the director reports to the provost and serves the university by providing current, valid data in a timely manner. The Office provides support for program reviews, assessment, enrollment management, institutional grant applications, accreditation and strategic planning, space utilization studies, and a variety of ad-hoc reporting requirements.