Dr. Judy Grimes has been named interim vice president for student affairs at Missouri Western State University.  Her appointment was announced Friday by Dr. Robert Vartabedian, president of the university.

Dr. Grimes has been sharing leadership of the division with Dr. Jeanne Daffron, the university’s provost and vice president for academic affairs.  The appointment frees up Dr. Daffron to return her focus to those duties.

The pair have been working in partnership leading the department since March, when the school announced it would not renew the contract of their predecessor, Dr. Esther Peralez.

“Dr. Daffron and Dr. Grimes have done an excellent job of leading the student affairs division through this period of transition,” Dr. Vartabedian said. “Dr. Grimes has been a valued member of the university’s staff since 1996 and will be a capable leader. I appreciate her willingness to accept this responsibility.  I also appreciate Dr. Daffron’s special efforts during the transition.”

Dr. Grimes earned a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Arts in Education and a Ph.D. in Higher and Adult Education from the University of Missouri at Columbia. She has served as the associate vice president and dean of students since 2010.  She first joined the Missouri Western staff in August, 1996 as acting director of freshman year experience and has risen through various administrative positions since.

Before coming to Missouri Western Dr. Grimes spent 11 years at the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and worked four years as director of the Applied Language Institute, a joint program of the University of Missouri-Kansas City and the Metropolitan Community Colleges.