Western Kentucky University President Gary Ransdell has led an extraordinary life.

Not only was he a standout student while on the Hill, he has an impressive record of accomplishment as an administrator and as president of WKU.

Since being named WKU’s ninth president in September 1997, Ransdell has transformed the campus and raised WKU’s profile from that a regional school to a nationally recognized and respected university.

During his nearly 20 years as president, he has worked tirelessly to secure funding to build new buildings, upgrade and renovate older buildings and oversee the movement of the athletic programs into the respected Conference USA. He was instrumental in building a new side of Houchens-Smith Stadium and the landscaping and aesthetics of the campus reached new levels on his watch. 

Ransdell has traveled to Frankfort every year during the legislative session to fight for as much money possible to bring back to the university he clearly loves.

He took the good along with the bad in stride and with class, but always kept his head up looking forward.

It had to be bittersweet for Ransdell to announce his retirement last year. 

When he officially retires at the end of June, Ransdell and his wife, Julie, will have a well-deserved sabbatical and on Jan. 1 will begin on his new journey in his life as the president and CEO of the Institute for Shipboard Education, parent organization of the Semester at Sea program.

This has to be a very exciting step for Ransdell.

Since 1963, more than 60,000 students from 1,700 colleges and universities from around the world have studied with the program.

As president, Ransdell will be working with students and faculty from all across the country and the world. He will also be recruiting students, engaging faculty and raising money.

Ransdell is a master of all three of these tasks, so he shouldn’t have any problem in these areas when he begins his new job.

Ransdell and Julie will maintain a residence in Bowling Green, but he will work from the organization’s home in Fort Collins, Colo.

Ransdell was a great pick for this job, having been on the governing board for the agency for four years and aboard a Semester at Sea ship twice – once with a group, including WKU students, as the boat went through the Panama Canal, and another time with 42 WKU students for a voyage through the North Sea to study climate change.

We wish Ransdell and Julie all the best in their new endeavor and we should be happy to know that although they will be leaving in a while, they will still be a presence in the Bowling Green community for sporting and other events.