Pam Russell
Director of Communications
CASE
+1-202-478-5680
russell@case.org

For Immediate Release
June 7, 2006

CASE Appoints Chief Research Officer

WASHINGTON, D.C.--The Council for Advancement and Support of Education has named Chris Thompson, formerly with the Institute for Policy Studies at Johns Hopkins University, to the position of vice president for research and information services.

An expert in the strategic use of research data, Thompson will oversee CASE’s research unit and information center. Responsibilities will include developing and directing primary and secondary research programs to enhance the effectiveness of advancement operations and professionals at CASE-member institutions.

Thompson, who started June 1, also will direct surveys and studies in the educational advancement disciplines of alumni relations, communications, marketing, and fundraising, and will oversee efforts to compile relevant print and online materials in response to member inquiries, the needs of the advancement profession, and organization-wide efforts.

John Lippincott, president of CASE, says Thompson’s arrival is a significant development for the association.

“Chris brings to CASE the expertise and the experience to develop and implement a greatly expanded research program designed to help advancement professionals make data-driven decisions,” says Lippincott. “His arrival signals our commitment to research as a strategic priority for the organization and as a critically important tool at a time of increasing emphasis on accountability. He has a sharp understanding of what it means to provide professionals with reliable benchmarks and the profession with relevant data.”

A graduate of University College London, Thompson has a master’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley and a Ph.D. from St. Catharine’s College at the University of Cambridge. He has written more than 20 articles for academic journals and 50 reports on topics ranging from “Training for the Next Economy” to “The State of E-learning in the States.”

Thompson says he is looking forward to helping CASE further grow its research capabilities.

“I hope to provide the research and resources our members need while also helping CASE become the definitive source of information on trends and other statistics in the advancement industry,” he says.

About CASE

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., with offices in London, Singapore and Mexico City, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education is the professional organization for advancement professionals who work in alumni relations, communications, fundraising, marketing and other areas.

CASE is one of the largest nonprofit education associations in terms of institutional membership. Its membership includes more than 3,400 colleges, universities, independent elementary and secondary schools, and educational associates in 74 countries around the world. It serves nearly 65,000 advancement professionals on the staffs of its member institutions.

CASE helps its members build stronger relationships with their alumni and donors, raise funds for campus projects, produce recruitment materials, market their institutions to prospective students, diversify the profession and foster public support of education. CASE also offers a variety of advancement products and services, provides standards and an ethical framework for the profession, and works with other organizations to respond to public issues of concern while promoting the importance of education worldwide.

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