Wittenberg Magazine P.O. Box 720 Springfield, Ohio 45501-0720
Phone: (937) 327-6141 Fax: (937) 327-6112
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Around Myers Hollow
Geology preffesor and alumnus to lead acdemic program as university's new provost Kenneth Bladh ’69, professor of geology,
has been named the next provost
of Wittenberg University, according to
President Baird Tipson.
As provost, Bladh will be the chief
academic officer of the university and the
second-ranking administrator, reporting
to the president. He will also serve as the
leader in the planning, organization, administration
and evaluation of the total As a member of the president’s cabinet, Bladh will serve as the chief advocate for faculty and as such will determine faculty and staff salaries, and recommend appointments, promotions and tenure of instructional personnel. In addition, he will be responsible for budget recommendations supporting academic programs. Bladh has been serving as interim provost since the retirement of Sammye C. Greer in June 2001. The formal transition occurred with the completion of a mail ballot distributed to the Wittenberg Board of Directors in early April. In making the announcement to the university community, Tipson noted,“The search committee presented me with several strong candidates. After observing
Ken’s exemplary work during the
period he served as interim provost, I feel
he will enable us to move forward immediately
on some important academic
initiatives.”
“I embrace the opportunity to help
Wittenberg maintain a relevant curriculum
with balance between preparation
for a successful career and for a life of
responsible participation and service as Bladh said.“A Wittenberg education must continue to provide substantial content, rigorous methodology and require regular engagement with the personal, societal and ethical implications of our knowledge,” Bladh said.“I have every confidence that Ken will be even more effective now that the‘interim’ has been removed from his title,” Tipson added. Bladh joined the Wittenberg faculty in 1978 as assistant professor of geology, serving in that capacity until he was promoted to associate rofessor in 1985 and professor in 1997. He served as chair of the department from 1990-2001. His publications, papers and invited lectures have focused on mineralogy, crystal growth and teaching. His multivolume Handbook of Mineralogy is becoming an international standard reference in descriptive mineralogy. A member of the Council on Undergraduate Research and the National Association of Geology Teachers, among other organizations, Bladh has also served on and chaired a variety of committees at Wittenberg including the faculty executive board, the Kuss Science Center renovation committee and the environmental studies program planning committee. As for the search committee, President
Tipson said, “I could not have asked
for a wiser, more professional group of
people, and the entire Wittenberg community
is in its debt.”
Born in Chicago, Bladh first arrived
on Wittenberg's campus as a student
where he majored in geology. Bladh went
on to earn a master’s degree and his doctorate,
both in geology, from the University
of Arizona in 1973 and 1978, respectively.
Bladh and his wife, Katherine, an
associate professor of geology at Wittenberg, Wittenberg Magazine P.O. Box 720 Springfield, Ohio 45501-0720 Phone: (937) 327-6141 Fax: (937) 327-6112 |
|