University Of Akron Hosting Community Conversations With Provost Finalists

The community is being invited to meet the finalists seeking to become executive vice president and provost at the University of Akron.

A search committee has chosen three candidates for in person interviews and campus visits over the next couple of weeks. They include current University of Idaho Provost John Wiencek, former Howard University Engineering Dean Achille Messacand Western Michigan University Chemistry Professor Susan Stapleton.

Search committee chair Paul Levy, who heads UA's psychology department, said whoever is chosen will work in concert with new president Gary Miller.

Search committee chair Paul Levy talks about the importance of the provost position.

“It’s the chief academic officer, it’s his partner, it’s the person who will help lead and move the university forward in terms of a vision and mission," he said. "There’s no doubt it’s a huge, huge hire.”

The search committee included 16 members, according to Levy. A search firm assisted in identifying potential candidates and Levy says there was a good number of competent applicants, though he would not reveal how many candidates applied. The committee conducted off-site interviews and all agreed on the three diverse finalists, Levy said.

Levy says the candidates have diverse backgrounds.

“They bring diversity in terms of background also some demographic diversity. They just really rose to the top of our candidate pool pretty easily," he said.

Each of the candidates will appear for a conversation with the community in the Gardner Theatre at the Student Union from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. on the following dates:  

Feb. 24 –  Susan Stapleton, Professor of Chemistry and Biological Sciences, Special Assistant to the Provost, Western Michigan University
March 2 –  John Wiencek, Professor of Chemical Engineering, Executive Vice President and Provost, The University of Idaho
March 3 –  Achille Messac, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, former Dean of Engineering and Architecture, Howard University.

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