WMU President John Dunn

Dr. John M. Dunn (1945-) served as the eighth president of Western Michigan University from 2007 to 2017.

Prior to coming to WMU, President Dunn served as interim chancellor at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Before accepting that appointment, he held the position of provost and vice chancellor at Southern Illinois. An educator for more than 30 years, Dunn was dean of the University of Utah's College of Health from 1995 to 2002 before moving to Southern Illinois. Before that, he was at Oregon State University for 20 years, last serving as associate provost. His earlier positions at Oregon State included assistant dean of Health and Human Performance, chair of the Department of Exercise and Sport Science and director of the university's Special Physical and Motor Fitness Clinic.

Internationally known for his research and writing about the long-term health of people with disabilities, Dunn is the author of more than 50 professional papers and book chapters. He is a past president of the Research Consortium of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance; past editor of Quest, a professional publication for kinesiology scholars; and president of the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education.

Since moving to Michigan, President Dunn has been actively engaged with state and community efforts that focus on quality-of-life issues and enhancing economic development. He is a member of the boards of First National Bank, Southwest Michigan First and the WMU Foundation as well as the governing boards of the Greater Kalamazoo Area United Way, the Gilmore Keyboard Festival and the W.E.Upjohn Institute.