Purdue begins search for next provost
January 10, 2014
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University on Friday (Jan. 10) formally launched the search for its next provost with the naming and first meeting of a search advisory committee.
The committee, chaired by Timothy Zwier, interim head of the Department of Chemistry, will be asked to present a list of candidates to President Mitch Daniels by April 15.
"This is the most important choice a university can make. When we select a provost, we are deciding what kind of academy we want to be and how high our aspirations are," Daniels said. "To that end, we intend the most open and open-minded search possible, in the pursuit of the most superb talent available."
Purdue's next provost will succeed Tim Sands, who will leave Purdue at the end of the spring semester to become president of Virginia Tech University.
It is expected that the position will be advertised broadly by Jan. 17 with nominations being accepted immediately and applications being evaluated beginning Feb. 21. The committee has been asked to complete initial candidate selection by mid-March and have on-campus visits completed by early April.
Each finalist candidate will take part in public forums. Dates, times and locations will be announced to the Purdue community via Purdue Today and the Purdue home page.
Search committee members are:
* Timothy Zwier (chair), interim head of the Department of Chemistry and the M.G. Mellon Distinguished Professor of Chemistry
* David Williams, professor of medical illustration and chair of the University Senate
* Patricia Hart, professor of languages and cultures and vice chair of the University Senate
* Leah Jamieson, the John A. Edwardson Dean of Engineering and Ransburg Distinguished Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering
* Vicky Carwein, chancellor of Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
* Blake Hylton, graduate research assistant in mechanical engineering and vice president of Purdue Graduate Student Government
* Joe Francisco, the William E. Moore Distinguished Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and Chemistry
* Rebecca Doerge, head of the Department of Statistics and the Trent and Judith Anderson Distinguished Professor of Statistics
* Jim Fleet, distinguished professor of nutrition science
* Levon Esters, associate professor of youth development and agricultural education
* Alyssa Panitch, the Leslie A. Geddes Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Faculty and staff can provide comments and suggestions about the search to the president and the search committee by using a confidential email account at provostsearch@purdue.edu.