Provost candidate interviews set to begin

Dr. Marvin Barker, vice president for academic affairs at Tennessee Technological University, will be on campus from Sunday evening through Tuesday afternoon, April 24-26.

Dr. Jimmy Solomon, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Mississippi State, will interview Wednesday through Friday, April 27-29.

Barker has held his position at Tennessee Tech since 1990 and was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Missouri, Rolla, for 10 years before that. He was a faculty member in the chemistry department at Mississippi State from 1963 to 1980, and department head during the last four years of that period. He received a bachelor's degree at Southern Illinois University and master's and Ph.D. degrees at Duke University.

Solomon has been in his present post since 1992, and served as interim dean for a year before that. He had been a faculty member in the mathematics and statistics department at Mississippi State since 1975, and was department head from 1983 to 1991. He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Mississippi, a master's degree from Mississippi State, and the Ph.D. from Texas A&M.

Barker will meet with the general faculty from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Monday, April 25, in Rogers Auditorium of McCool Hall. Immediately afterward, from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., he will attend a reception with the general faculty and student and staff leaders in room 130 of McCool Hall.

Solomon will meet with the general faculty from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 27, in Rogers Auditorium of McCool Hall, and will attend a reception with general faculty, student and staff leaders from 4:30 to 5:30 in room 130 of McCool Hall.

Other candidates and their interview dates are:

Dr. William J. Wilhelm, dean of the College of Engineering at The Wichita State University, May 1-May 3;

Dr. Robert A. Altenkirch, dean of the College of Engineering at Mississippi State, May 3-May 5;

Dr. Jane L. Winer, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Texas Tech University, May 8-10; and

Dr. Derek J. Hodgson, vice president for research at the University of Wyoming, May 10-12.

In addition to the sessions with the general faculty, the interview schedule for each candidate includes meetings with President Zacharias, the search committee, the vice presidents, the deans, community leaders, student leaders, academic department heads and directors, representatives of other units reporting to the provost, and alumni and development representatives.