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Cal Poly Names New Provost

Posted on: Wednesday, 7 September 2005, 21:00 CDT

Sep. 7--Cal Poly has named as its No. 2 administrator a former chemistry professor who now oversees a major international science and environmental research program.

William C. Harris will become Poly's provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, the university announced Tuesday. Harris has been director of the Science Foundation Ireland since 2001 and will join Cal Poly no later than July 2006 after completing his responsibilities in Dublin.

He intends to visit Poly frequently in the next 10 months.

Until then, Robert Detweiler will continue as interim provost. He replaced Paul Zingg, who left 19 months ago to become president of CSU Chico.

The provost oversees the university's educational programs, research, library services, technology, admissions and intercollegiate athletics program.

Cal Poly President Warren Baker said Harris brings a strong record of commitment to undergraduate education, which began as a professor at the University of South Carolina.

"More recently," Baker said, "he demonstrated his commitment to the many Cal Poly students who had the distinct privilege of working with him at Biosphere 2."

From 1996 to 2000, Harris was founding president and executive director of Biosphere 2 Center at Columbia University in New York. He also worked in a variety of posts for the National Science Foundation from 1978 to 1996. His last position was assistant director of mathematical and physical sciences.

In an e-mail interview from Dublin, Harris said his familiarity with Cal Poly students and staff helped seal his decision.

"I was offered several other very important positions in the USA, but Cal Poly was my preference because I have known and worked with the faculty, students and leadership for many years," he wrote. "It is truly a first-rate institution with first-rate people."

Harris was one of four finalists interviewed last spring. His resume and statement of interest, submitted as part of his application, is available on the Cal Poly Web site at http://academic-personnel.calpoly.edu/ announce/provost.html.

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Source: The Tribune (San Luis Obispo, Calif.)

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