Cole assumes provost position

Mississippi State's interim provost and vice president for academic affairs is dropping the "interim" from his title.

David Cole, the university's acting chief academic officer since July 1998, is being appointed to the post on a continuing basis, pending approval of the state Board of Trustees, Institutions of Higher Learning.

Cole

Cole was recommended by a search committee after interviews recently with faculty, deans, department heads, and students.

"It was clear to the search committee that David Cole is the right person for the job at this time," said committee chair Leslie Bauman, professor of physics.

Cole came to Mississippi State in January 1998 as a visiting executive and special assistant to newly appointed President Malcolm Portera. He previously had been a faculty member and administrator for 30 years at the University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa and the University of Alabama system.

The new provost formally assumes leadership of MSU's academic programs a little more than a week after Portera announced goals of making the university the region's top public undergraduate teaching institution while moving into the top 50 among national research universities.

Those goals are part of the Leadership for the 21st Century Initiative outlined in Portera's Feb. 6 inaugural address.

"David Cole understands what it takes to have true quality in academic programs," Portera said. "He has vast experience as a teacher, researcher and academic administrator. He also has the vision, the integrity, and the leadership ability to help focus Mississippi State's diverse and creative faculty on achieving the goals that will have the greatest impact on the future of Mississippi."

Cole was a member of the physics department at Alabama for more than 20 years before serving in the university's academic affairs office as special assistant to the vice president and associate vice president.

He earned a doctorate in physics at the University of Alabama in 1963 and also holds degrees from Northwestern University of Louisiana and George Peabody College.

Cole spent five years as senior adviser to the vice chancellor for external affairs in the three-campus University of Alabama system, then headed the Japanese Language Distance Learning Program in Tuscaloosa for two years before moving to MSU.

He has held leadership roles with the Southern Technology Council, Southeastern Universities Research Association and Southern Center for International Studies.