ANGOLA, IN - ANGOLA, IN - A prominent area educator and administrator will bring more than three decades of experience to establish and lead new graduate programs in Trine University's Franks School of Education beginning this fall.

Phil Downs, Ph.D., who announced plans to retire as superintendent of Southwest Allen County Schools earlier this year, will join Trine as director of education graduate programs and accreditation.

At Trine, Downs will oversee development of new graduate programs within the Franks School of Education, and ensure the school meets requirements for accreditation by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and the Specialized Professional Association (SPA) programs.
Downs was named the state of Indiana's Superintendent of the Year in 2020.