Southeast, Cape welcome Kunkel in role as provost

Southeast Missouri State University has announced the hire of a new provost, Karl Kunkel, who brings to the position a plethora of experience in academia. Such a rich resume should serve the needs of our students well.

Making the final cut in a 110-candidate field is no small feat. It's hard to believe, but the number of candidates even surpasses the Republican field of presidential candidates! Kunkel sealed the deal when five of the original contenders came to the university for interviews in October.

Currently the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kansas, Kunkel has doctoral, master's and bachelor's degrees in sociology from the University of Missouri-Columbia. In addition to being dean, he has been a professor of sociology and justice studies at Pittsburg State since 2011. He also served previously as head of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Criminology and a sociology and criminology professor at Missouri State University, where he was employed for 17 years.

At Pittsburg State, he was the representative to the National Collegiate Athletic Association and was involved in various committees for the mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.

These are just some of the roles Southeast's newly hired provost has filled. The full range of his background and expertise are much more exhaustive, and will be put to use in his new role, a role described as chief academic officer.

"He brings to us a significant breadth of knowledge and extensive leadership experience in higher education. We believe he will be a tremendous asset in building on the success of our academic programs," said Southeast's president, Carlos Vargas, in a news release.

As for Kunkel's response to being selected, he is looking forward to the challenges awaiting him when he steps into the job on Feb. 15. "The idea of being provost at Southeast Missouri State University is very exciting to me," he stated, adding, "It's not that I'm looking for any job; I'm looking at this job."

We welcome Kunkel to his new role and look forward to watching his career take shape here.