Point Park students and faculty engaged with potential provost candidates this week in a round of interviews as part of the process to determine the school’s next provost.
The candidates interviewed for the provost position were Lorin Arnold, Elizabeth Throop, John Pearson and Balaji Rajogopalan.
Arnold currently serves as dean of the College of Communication and Creative Arts at Rowan University (N.J.), where she has been working as a dean or professor for close to 17 years, according to her personal website. She received her doctorate in interpersonal communication from Purdue University in 1996.
Throop is an associate professor in graphic design at Georgia State University and received her master’s degree in graphic design from North Carolina State University in 1996.
Pearson is a professor of English and associate vice president of Academic Affairs at Stetson University (Fla.), where he has worked for the past 26 years. Pearson received his doctorate from Boston University.
Rajogopalan serves as Chief Academic and Administrative Officer of the Sam and Irene Black School of Business at Penn State Erie, the Behrend College. He received his doctorate from the Fogelman College of Business and Economics at the University of Memphis.
“The Provost is the Chief Academic Officer and leader of the University’s Office of Student and Academic Affairs,” Lou Corsaro, managing director of Point Park University marketing and public relations, said.
“The University is seeking a successful teacher and established scholar committed to academic excellence,” Corsaro said via email. “Their life and work should demonstrate an intellectual curiosity with a commitment to the best in interdisciplinary liberal arts education at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels.”
An initial round of interviews with multiple candidates began a month ago, Pearson said, and the field was cut down to four candidates. Pearson had his round of interviews conducted at the university on Friday, Jan. 15.
“It is a very important role at any institution, but especially at an institution like Point Park that has gone through significant change. Anyone coming into a leadership position is going to be a really important hire,” Pearson said. “They are taking very, very good care to make sure they get the person that they want.”
Students were invited to meet with the candidates and take part in the interviews. “The University believes it’s important to give students an opportunity to play a role in the process, and we have made every effort to inform them of these opportunities,” said Corsaro. “We appreciate those students who have made time to participate in whatever manner possible.”
Junior creative writing major Elizabeth Anderson, 25, was the only student present at Pearson’s interview Friday. “He was very engaging and eager to find out as much as he could about Point Park and student life here,” she said, adding, “I do wish I’d gone to the other interviews.” Anderson said she planned to attend the last interview with Rajagopalan, as well.
Pearson noted that the interaction with students was the most important part of his visit to campus.
“Meeting with students is very important,” he said. “I hope whoever the next provost is does not walk in here and say ‘I have these policies for you and we’re going to start them today’. No one should do that. They really need to take time to understand the university and the students.”
Point Park’s outgoing Provost, Karen McIntyre, has served the position for the university since December 2010. Prior to that, McIntyre worked as the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences from Jan. 2007 to May 2009.
While there is no timetable for a decision on a candidate hire, Corsaro said the candidate would ideally take over their duties this summer.
