Richard Ferrin serves as President & CEO of Global Placement Specialists. His experience in international recruitment is based on 30 years of educational leadership in colleges and universities in the United States. Prior to joining GPS Dr. Ferrin served as President of Salem International University, which when he concluded his tenure ranked #3 in the US in the percentage of international students in its student body. He personally conducted recruitment trips to India, China, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Vietnam. In an earlier college presidency and two academic vice presidencies he led successful efforts to increase international student enrollments while instituting cross-cultural, student and faculty exchange and study abroad programs, with special focus on Central America, UK, South Korea and Japan.
Dr. Ferrin has served on the corporate advisory boards in Singapore and South Korea, as an honorary professor at Han Nam University in South Korea and at Mejiro Gakuen College in Japan, and as a board member for numerous community and educational organizations in the United States. He currently serves as President of the US-China Higher Education Alliance, a non-profit organization committed to bringing American and Chinese universities into productive working relationships.
Dr. Ferrin earned his Ph.D. in educational administration and organizational behavior at Stanford University and participated in the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University. In addition to his long academic administration career, he held faculty appointments at Whitworth College, Kansas Wesleyan University and Maryville College. He began his professional career with The College Board, working as a Research Associate in Palo Alto, California and as Program Planning Officer in New York City.
Richard is married to Wendy Wakefield Ferrin, Founding Director of
The Society of Playful Education (www.sope.net) and an author
(www.wendywakefieldferrin.com). Between them they have five children.
