Dr. Tom Evans, an administrator at St. Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been named president of Carroll College.

The diocesan college announced the selection of Evans, one of three finalists, on Dec. 20. He is expected to begin serving as president in June.

Carroll, which enrolls about 1,500 students and is embarking on its second century, is under the leadership of Dr. Paula McNutt as interim president. She took the place of Dr. Thomas Trebon, who had intended to retire as president in mid-2012 but departed this winter, for health reasons.

At St. Edward’s, a liberal arts college that enrolls about 5,400 students and was established by the Congregation of the Holy Cross, Evans, 41, is associate vice president for professional education and global initiatives. His service in that role since 2008 has given the college leadership “in revenue generation and in the initiation of efforts to make global education a cornerstone of St. Edward’s 2015 Strategic Vision,” Carroll said. Evans began working at St. Edward’s in 1997, when he received a position in the admissions office.

In a statement released by Carroll, Evans said the college in Helena is “well positioned to draw on its rich history and past successes so that it can begin to forge a bold vision for the future that is in line with its Catholic mission.”

In a telephone conference with reporters on Dec. 20, he described Carroll as a standout in Catholic higher education. “My sense of the community is that they’re very excited for the next stage in the history of Carroll College,” he said.

Evans said he looks forward to working with the Carroll board and is delighted that Diocese of Helena Bishop George Leo Thomas, who is a board member and the college chancellor, is a Carroll graduate.

In a congratulatory message, St. Edward’s Executive Vice President Sister Donna Jurick said that Evans ”has played a key role in establishing our network of partner universities around the world— partnerships which are critical in providing our students with a global perspective. We wish Tom the very best in his new leadership role as president at Carroll College.”

E vans said that expansion of programs, including international programs, is among the areas he will examine as president.

He holds a bachelor of science degree, with a major in Japanese and a minor in theology, from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He received a master’s degree in Asian studies and completed a doctorate in educational administration at the University of Texas at Austin. Evans also has attended the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University, and studied in Tokyo at Keio University’s Center for Japanese Language and Culture. He is conversant in Japanese and French.

Evans and his wife have two sons, ages 10 and 4.


Published in The Montana Catholic Online, Volume 28, No. 1, January 20, 2012.