Webster University President Elizabeth (Beth) J. Stroble and Provost and Senior Vice President Julian Schuster have announced that Brigadier General Michael W. Callan (United States Air Force, retired) will join Webster in June as Associate Vice President for Military and Governmental Affairs.

“The addition of General Callan to the leadership team will position us well to make significant strides towards our strategic goal of becoming first choice for the military,” said President Stroble.

As AVP for Military and Governmental Programs, Brig. Gen. Callan will provide leadership and strategic direction for Webster’s alliances with all branches of the military related to the development and delivery of education programs and will develop and strengthen relationships with federal and state agencies. He will advise on areas for expansion of the Department of Defense student base for graduate and undergraduate degree and non-degree offerings and will work with units across Webster, including Alumni and Development, Global Marketing and Communications, Academic Affairs, and Student Affairs to deliver high quality services and programs to the military and government sectors.

Callan, who retired from the Air Force last fall, most recently served as a Vice Commander (United States Air Forces Africa) at Ramstein Air Base in Germany.  He has also served as Senior Military Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs at the Pentagon.  A pilot, he has instructed and evaluated more than 1,000 international student and fully rated pilots.  Gen. Callan earned a B.S. in Mathematics from Slippery Rock State College, a Masters in General Administration from the University of Maryland, and a Masters in Science in National Security Strategy from the National War College.

“General Mike Callan brings to Webster a long and distinguished military career, proven leadership abilities, an understanding of the educational needs and desires of our military students, and an enthusiasm for helping others achieve their goals,” said Provost Schuster.  “This position is a major component of our strategic initiative to become first choice for the military by increasing our program offerings, enhancing our relationships with all branches, strengthening student services, and growing our military enrollments.”

“My family and I are very excited to be joining the Webster University team,” Callan said. “During the selection process, it was very clear that Webster's commitment to providing our military the very best in educational services was a first priority.

“As our military reaches out for continuing high-quality educational services, I intend to provide the Provost and President my very best counsel to make Webster University the Department of Defense’s first choice for higher education.”

With its home campus in St. Louis, Webster University (www.webster.edu) is the only Tier 1, private, non-profit U.S.-based university providing a network of international residential campuses. Founded in 1915, Webster University’s campus network today includes metropolitan, military and corporate locations around the world, as well as traditional residential campuses in Asia, Europe and North America. The university is committed to delivering high-quality learning experiences that transform students for global citizenship and individual excellence.