Provost candidate with anthropology background visits university

Southeast Missouri State University provost candidate Elizabeth Throop began her on-campus interviews Friday and met with faculty, staff and students during open forums at Academic Hall, where she discussed her background and answered questions from the audience.

Throop has served as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Education at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville since June 2012.

She previously worked as interim dean of the Siebens School of Business and visiting professor of anthropology at Buena Vista University in Storm Lake, Iowa, from July 2011 to June 2012.

Throop earned a Ph.D. in anthropology at the University of California in San Diego in 1996. She has a master's in social work with a counseling concentration from the Jane Addams School of Social Work at the University of Illinois in Chicago.

Throop said she was interested in becoming Southeast's chief academic officer because she feels like she already has acted as provost in some ways at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville.

With budget reductions at the university, Throop said she has been assisting the provost as they cut $2.5 million from the university's budget this year.

"It may not feel this way, but you are in a much better position budgetarily," she told the audience, as she discussed why she wanted to become Southeast's provost.

Throop also said Southeast has a dynamic new president in Carlos Vargas-Aburto.

"It's an exciting time to come to this institution. There's a lot of possibility," she said.

When asked how she would integrate herself into the campus community, Throop said she would be visible by attending events and would find ways to interact with students, organize picnics for new faculty and establish weekly office hours.

She said she also would like to give guest lectures.

"So, a lot of it would require your help to get me into situations where I can interact with students," she said.

After answering several questions, she also asked the audience questions, including what they would like to see in a provost.

Those who answered described a provost as someone who is a communicator, listener, forward-thinking and has a moral compass. They also added the provost needs to understand the university is focused on student success.

Southeast formed a provost search committee soon after April 8, when William Eddleman announced his plan to step down as the university's chief academic officer June 1 and return to the faculty until Jan. 1, when he will retire.

The university received about 110 applications for the position, and about 11 candidates were interviewed in St. Louis. Five were selected to visit the university and meet with officials, faculty, staff, students and the community.

Provost candidate Karl Kunkel, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, will be the final candidate to visit Southeast on Thursday and Friday. He will participate in public open forums at 10 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Academic Hall Auditorium.

To view each candidate's curriculum vitae, visit semo.edu/president/provost-search.html.

klamb@semissourian.com

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