Chancellor Joel E. Anderson has appointed Chancellor Emeritus Charles E. Hathaway to chair a search committee for UALR’s next provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. The goal of the search is to hire a provost by Jan. 1,2012.

The national search will seek candidates who possess a record of leadership in instructional, research, and outreach programs of a university comparable to the size and complexity of UALR.

“It is hard to overstate the importance of the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs,” Anderson said. “The provost is second in command and heads the entire academic division of the university.”

Anderson, who has served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs prior to becoming chancellor at UALR, said the search committee is broad-based, representing leadership from the university and the central Arkansas community.“We will have a wise and experienced leader in Dr. Hathaway, who served as UALR chancellor from 1993 to 2002,” Anderson said.

The search, open to internal and external candidates, will result in selection of a provost who has both excellent academic credentials and a demonstrated commitment to extensive university engagement with the larger metropolitan community and state.

“I am confident the committee will present a strong group of finalists for campus and community interviews,” Anderson said.

Former Provost David O. Belcher left the university in July to become the new chancellor of Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, N.C. Dr. Sandra Robertson, director of the UALR Office of Budget, Planning, and Institutional Research, is serving as interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. She previously served as interim provost in 2003.

The UALR provost leads six colleges and two free-standing schools: Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences; Business; Education; Professional Studies, including the School of Mass Communications and the School of Social Work; Engineering and Information Technology; and Sciences and Mathematics. The two free-standing schools are the Graduate School and the Bowen School of Law.

Committee Chair Hathaway, who was provost and vice chancellor at Wright State University before coming to UALR, will be joined by Catherine Lowry, program coordinator for the Information Technology Minor Program, who will be assistant to the chair.

Other members of the search committee are:

• Adjoa A. Aiyetoro, associate professor at the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law and director of the Institute on Race and Ethnicity.
• Jane Brown, UALR professor of art.
• John M. DiPippa, dean of the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law
• Wanda Dole, UALR dean of the Ottenheimer Library.
• Gary L. Geissler, UALR professor of marketing and advertising.
• Tony A. Hall, UALR associate professor and interim chair of the Department of Physics.
• Susan A. Hoffpauir, associate dean of the Clinton School of Public Service.
• Eric R. Kaufmann, UALR professor of mathematics.
• John A. Kirk, UALR Donaghey Professor and chair of the Department of History.
• John A. Kuykendall, UALR assistant professor of educational leadership.
• Joni Lee, associate vice chancellor of University Advancement.
• Simone Lewis, president of the UALR Student Government Association.
• Christina Littlejohn, executive director of the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra.
• Sadie Mitchell, associate superintendent of the Little Rock School District.
• Gary Newton, executive vice president of the Little Rock Regional Chamber of Commerce.
• Mary L. Parker, UALR professor and chair of the Department of Criminal Justice.
• Brad Patterson, director of UALR Testing Services and president of the Staff Senate.
• Elizabeth Pierce, UALR associate professor and chair of the Department of Information Science.
• Remzi Seker, UALR associate professor and chair of the Department of Computer Science.
• Laura Smith-Olinde, UALR associate professor of audiology and speech pathology and president of the University Assembly and the Faculty Senate.