M. Duane Nellis began serving as the University of Idaho’s 17th president on July 1, 2009. As the university′s chief executive officer, President M. Duane Nellis provides robust and engaging leadership for the University of Idaho by: supporting 42 statewide extension offices and university center locations in Boise, Coeur d’Alene and Idaho Falls; working with the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho) program to ensure that medical education in Idaho is supported, along with the 20 first-year medical students on the Moscow campus each year; and by being actively engaged with the university alumni, friends, donors, faculty, staff and students around the world to create a university that is more entrepreneurial, sustainable, international, interdisciplinary and diverse. Previously, Dr. Nellis served as provost and senior vice president of Kansas State University and oversaw 12 deans and 10 other units, including the offices of the vice provost for information technology services and the vice president for research. Dr. Nellis is recognized nationally and internationally for his research utilizing satellite data and geographic information systems to analyze various dimensions of the earth’s land surface. President M. Duane Nellis is a native of the Northwest. He was born in Spokane, Wash. He met and married his wife, Ruthie, while pursuing his bachelor′s degree in earth sciences/geography at Montana State University. He received his master′s and doctoral degrees in geography at Oregon State University.