Chancellor Mark Emmert announced Risa Palm of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as the new executive vice chancellor and provost April 16, after more than nine months of searching for former Provost Dan Fogel’s replacement.
A search for a new provost began February 2002, after Fogel announced he was leaving the University to become president at the University of Vermont.
After interviewing several applicants, the search committee invited five candidates to visit the campus in January and meet with faculty, staff and students.
Palm, UNC’s College of Arts and Sciences dean, visited the campus Feb. 25, and Emmert invited her back for a second time March 13.
Palm will begin working as provost July 1.
Emmert said he is very excited about working with Palm because she “brings all the aspects and attributes” he was looking for in a provost.
Palm has been dean at UNC since 1997. She also has worked in administrative roles at the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Oregon. She also spent five years as a faculty member in the geography department at the University of California-Berkeley.
“Her academic values are suited to pursuing our national agenda,” Emmert said.
He said her broad experience of working at different academic institutions offers a great diversity of knowledge.
Richard Soloway, senior associate dean of social sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences at UNC, said Palm has an extraordinary breadth and range of knowledge in major research universities.
Soloway was a member of a group of faculty that unanimously nominated Palm to a committee dedicated to find a dean for the College of Arts and Sciences at UNC.
He said in addition to her academic and administrative knowledge, Palm has a very warm human nature with lots of laughter.
“Our first conversation was about the movie ‘Fargo,’ in which she did impressions because she used to live up there,” Soloway said.
He also said during the past six years, Palm has succeeded as dean, especially in the area of undergraduate admissions.
During the past six years, Palm has helped introduce a first-year seminar program, similar to LSU 1001, and opened an office of undergraduate research, where 30 percent of UNC undergraduates are doing research with faculty members for credit, Soloway said.
He said she has succeeded as dean because she is willing to delegate duties to people and give them independence to complete the tasks while being supportive.
Darryl Gless, senior associate dean of humanities and fine arts in the College of Arts and Sciences at UNC, said Palm imagines new ways of doing things and gets them accomplished.
“A large part of that is delegating and giving support when we need it,” Gless said. “She has a really forceful presence.”
Gless said Palm’s powerful presence will serve her well as provost because she has a significant authority.
“She has a good sense of humor that creates a sense of confidence by her leadership,” Gless said.
Gless said Palm has succeeded in making a presence for the College of Arts and Sciences at UNC on the Internet and in the media.
“She is good at making it clear to the world inside and outside what the institution is trying to accomplish,” Gless said.
Palm and Emmert agreed Palm will have to adjust to a new life at the University and learning LSU and Louisiana will be her greatest challenge.
“She doesn’t bring a familiarity with the community,” Emmert said. “She knows the challenges of our University but not our uniqueness.”
Though this will be a challenge, Palm said it will be exciting to get to know new people.
Gless said Palm’s greatest advantage is she has lived in the South and is accustomed to the way people interact.
“Her directness took people by surprise,” he said. “When she first came, she was straight to business.”
Palm said as provost, she wants to make sure the University is maximizing its resources and making sure it is getting the maximum productivity.
She also said she wants to work to make LSU the university of choice for undergraduates.