Trustee
President of Florida Institute of Technology
Dr. John Nicklow will become the sixth president in Florida Institute of Technology’s 65-year history, taking office July 1, 2023.
For seven years, Nicklow served as president and CEO of the University of New Orleans (UNO). His priorities focused on enrollment growth and student success, strengthening the campus’ research enterprise, and expanding partnerships with alumni, the community, and regional business leaders. Under his leadership, UNO experienced multiple years of enrollment growth, a first in the post-Katrina era, and a near-doubling of external research grant and contract expenditures. He successfully led the first major comprehensive fundraising campaign in the campus’ 65-year history and oversaw major growth of UNO’s endowment during his tenure.
President Nicklow has 25 years of higher education experience as a faculty member in engineering and an academic administrator, with a proven track record in research, enrollment management, student success initiatives, fundraising, external partnerships and academic program innovation. He previously served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at Southern Illinois University, as well as earlier administrative appointments, including chief enrollment officer and leadership positions in the College of Engineering and Department of Civil Engineering at that institution.
President Nicklow has participated in many local and regional nonprofit and economic development organizations including GNO Inc., the Jefferson Chamber of Commerce, the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, the Business Council of New Orleans, the New Orleans Business Alliance, the Louisiana Committee of 100, the Rotary Club of New Orleans and the board of directors of Benjamin Franklin High School. He has served as chairman of the Greater New Orleans Higher Education Consortium.
President Nicklow has been widely recognized at the university level, nationally by the American Society of Civil Engineers, and by industry for his teaching and research accomplishments. At UNO, he held the rank of professor in the Department of Civil Engineering and held an endowed chair in environmental modeling, which he used to support graduate students and a post-doctoral fellowship. His research interests are focused on advancement of STEM education and on optimization of environmental and water resources systems. He has published more than 75 articles and is the author of four books. He is a registered professional engineer (P.E.), a certified professional hydrologist, a fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and a diplomate of the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers.
A native of western Pennsylvania, President Nicklow earned B.S. and M.S. degrees in civil engineering from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in civil engineering from Arizona State University. He has been inducted to the Academy of Distinguished Alumni at Arizona State University’s School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment, and he is a recent recipient of the NCAA Champion of Diversity Award. He began his career as an environmental engineering officer with the U.S. Public Health Service. He and his wife, Stacy Nicklow, Ph.D., have one son, Ethan.
