Manchester, N.H. – Southern New Hampshire University is appointing former Dean of the School of Business, William J. Gillett, to the Christos and Mary Papoutsy Distinguished Chair in Ethics and Social Responsibility. Bill has accepted the position for the 2016-2017 academic year and will be conducting a critically important examination of the responsibility of the West to the displaced refugee populations in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa.
The Papoutsy Chair was established in 1999 to educate students, staff, and the SNHU community about the social and ethical issues facing today's global environment. One of the goals of the Chair is to develop state-of-the-art theory and research in ethics.
“I am honored to accept the Papoutsy Distinguished Chair in Ethics and Social Responsibility position at SNHU,” said Bill Gillett, “We have a moral and ethical obligation to help people who are suffering from some of the world’s most dire situations involving refugees and displacement and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to take a leadership role in this work.”
Gillett, who has worked with refugees and refugee resettlement for ten years, will be focusing on the ethical and moral obligations Western nations have accepted towards displaced persons and refugees. He will also explore the application of those obligations to local resettlement efforts over the last 20 years, with emphasis on economic integration.
In particular, Gillett will be reviewing the experience of refugees accepted in Manchester, New Hampshire through the measured resettlement program in the United States and, in contrast, the effect of mass migration and the arrival of refugees on the island of Lesvos in Greece, where more than 450,000 refugees passed through last year.
“With his dedication to service and helping those who need it most, Bill has made a lasting impact on the entire SNHU and Manchester community,” said Patricia Lynott, Executive Vice President and University Provost at Southern New Hampshire University. “The Papoutsy Distinguished Chair in Ethics and Social Responsibility will provide Bill an exceptional opportunity to pursue the work that has long been so important to him and we look forward to his findings.”
Gillett has been a trustee of the International Institute of New England (IINE), a refugee and immigrant support agency with operations in Boston, Lowell, Massachusetts and Manchester, New Hampshire since 2007 and has served as Chair of the Board of IINE since 2011.
In 2010, Gillett became Dean of the School of Business at Southern New Hampshire University, a post he held through May, 2016. He holds a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University and a law degree from the University of Michigan.
About Southern New Hampshire University
Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) is a nonprofit, regionally accredited, private university with an 80-year history of educating traditional-age students and working adults. With over 70,000 students and more than 200 undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs, available on campus and online, SNHU offers access to high quality and affordable education. SNHU’s main campus is located in Manchester, NH with locations in Nashua, Portsmouth and Salem, NH, and Brunswick, Maine. Recognized as the “Most Innovative” regional university by U.S. News & World Report, SNHU continues to transform higher education by providing the best educational opportunity and experience for all students. Learn more at www.snhu.edu.
