New Provost Named
Friday, August 12, 2011
New Provost Named
Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students:
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As you are aware, Dr. Donald R. Bobbitt will be leaving The University of Texas at Arlington at the end of October to become president of the University of Arkansas System.
Following broad consultation, and after careful consideration, I have asked Dr. Ronald L. Elsenbaumer, currently vice president for research and federal relations, to serve as provost and vice president for academic affairs for a three-year term beginning Oct. 24, 2011.
Because UT Arlington is in the midst of a major transformation, and a search would inevitably slow down our efforts over the next 12 to 18 months, I have decided not to conduct a national search. We are at a critical point in our pursuit of becoming a nationally recognized research university, and we cannot afford to miss a beat.
Many of you have had the pleasure of working with Dr. Elsenbaumer throughout his 20-year tenure at UT Arlington. He is an accomplished professor and researcher, as well as a highly respected leader at our university and throughout the UT System. Under his leadership, UT Arlington’s external research funding has skyrocketed, and he has championed the University’s best interests in North Texas, Austin, Washington, D.C., and beyond.
I am confident that Ron Elsenbaumer is the right person at the right time. His contributions are many and diverse, and his commitment to UT Arlington is unquestionable. Having served as interim provost in 2007-2008, he fully understands and appreciates the totality of our academic enterprise. We could not ask for a more dedicated, more skillful leader to help fulfill the University’s mission to become a major national research university.
As Dr. Elsenbaumer moves into this new role, we also want to ensure a smooth and timely transition in leadership in the Office of Research Administration. We will have more information to share with you in the near future.
For now, please join me in congratulating Dr. Elsenbaumer and in wishing him well as he embarks on this new challenge.
Sincerely,
James D. Spaniolo
President