Heritage University names new president

John Bassett, current president of Clark University in Worcester, Mass., has been named the new president of Heritage University. Bassett, 67, who will replace founding president Sister Kathleen Ross, will assume the post next summer.

Bassett has been president of Clark University since 2000. Under his leadership, the school received wide acclaim for its innovative University Park Campus School, a small urban public school of seventh- to 12th-graders recognized nationally as one of the 100 best public-high schools in the country.

Bassett is a scholar and teacher of American literature and has published 11 books and more than 30 professional articles.

Heritage University is a private, four-year liberal-arts university that offers undergraduate and graduate degrees. In addition to the main campus in Toppenish, Heritage has sites in Moses Lake, Wenatchee, Tri-Cities, South Seattle and Yakima.