Dr. Donald Eastman

Dr. Donald Eastman was born in Virginia and graduated from the University of Tennessee before earning his Ph.D. in English from the University of Florida. In 2001, Don became the fourth president of Eckerd College and led the institution to national prominence through a focus on adroit management, fundraising, raising the College’s public profile, connecting with alumni, and developing and improving programs to support an exceptional undergraduate experience. Under President Eastman’s guidance, applications more than doubled since Eastman’s arrival, student retention increased 10 percentage points, and students living on campus increased from 68 percent to 89 percent (with more on a wait list). With 1,970 undergraduate students currently at Eckerd College, they can attain bachelor’s degrees in science, arts and fine arts in 40 majors with 50 minors—12 of which were created since 2001—and go on to excellent graduate programs throughout the country and around the world.

Immediately prior to take the presidency at Eckerd, Don served as vice president for development and university relations and vice president for strategic planning and public affairs at the University of Georgia where Don developed a comprehensive strategic planning program for the University of Georgia—in concert with the University System of Georgia Board of Regents and in support of a $500 million university-wide capital campaign—and led development of a new campus (now Gwinnett State University). During Don’s tenure at University of Georgia he led the team which doubled the number of annual donors; successfully completed the $150 million campuswide capital campaign in 1993; doubled level of private giving to institution over six years; reorganized UGA Foundation Board and committee structure; reorganized alumni relations function, doubling staff and programs; launched Georgia’s first dues-based national alumni association; developed a public affairs office focused on national news.

From 1979–1989, Don served as chief of staff for the University of Tennessee’s central administration; where he represented the chancellor and the central administration with internal and external constituencies, including the Executive Committee of the Faculty Senate, the UTK Council of Academic Deans, the UT system-wide administration.

Too numerous to detail, Don also served with distinction as either faculty or in the administration at Cornell University, Lanzhou University (PRC), University of Florida, and the Florida Endowment for the Humanities.