Rousse Named Vice President for University Advancement

Dr. Wade Rousse has been named vice president for university advancement at McNeese State University effective July 1 pending approval by the University of Louisiana System Board of Supervisors. Rousse is replacing the retiring vice president Richard Reid.

“I am so thankful for this opportunity to build on the successes of the Office of University Advancement,” says Rousse. “The funding-mix of higher education in Louisiana has dramatically shifted over the last decade. As a result, innovation is imperative for our university to thrive. The advancement office here at McNeese has been incredibly successful over the last three decades and I’m so blessed and humbled to be joining a leadership team determined to see McNeese not only survive but also thrive.”

According to McNeese President Dr. Daryl Burckel, Rousse will serve as the senior leader of the university’s advancement efforts that include the McNeese Foundation and the Alumni Association.

“The funding formula for higher education has shifted and now, more than ever, support from private and corporate donors and alumni is critical to advancing a thriving university,” Burckel said.

Rousse currently serves as dean of the McNeese College of Business and he will retain that role for the next academic year.

He received his master’s and doctorate degrees in economics from the University of Illinois at Chicago, his Master of Business Administration degree from the University of New Orleans and his Bachelor of Science degree in business from Nicholls State University.

Prior to coming to McNeese, he served as associate dean for accreditation and operations, interim director of the Alliance Bank Economic Policy Institute, area coordinator of economics and executive in residence in the W.A. Franke College of Business at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff.

While earning his doctorate, he worked at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago in economic outreach and policy research and as a member of the Financial Markets Group. He was also a member of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.

“Dr. Rousse is a proven leader with senior level administrative experience in both the private sector and in higher education,” Burckel said. “His understanding of financial markets, his innovative vision for the Office of University Advancement and his passion for McNeese were unmatched among the many applicants for this position.”