International Studies and Programs Dean John Hudzik has been selected to the position of acting provost, pending the MSU Board of Trustees' approval.
Hudzik and psychology Professor Norman Abeles were both in the running for the position. Hudzik was nominated by a search and rating committee and approved by President-designate Lou Anna Simon on Thursday. The board can approve the choice at its Nov. 12 meeting.
Hudzik would take over the position as MSU's chief academic officer when Simon becomes president on Jan. 1.
"It's very important to continue to move forward, and I'm honored they would think I'm the person that could make that happen," Hudzik said.
Committee chairman Stephen Lacy said Hudzik, who spent time as the associate dean of the College of Social Sciences, would be ready for the position because of his experience with handling budgets and other university issues.
The committee met with Simon to make its recommendation last week.
"He has a background of working interdisciplinary with the departments because he's had to work with a lot of the deans, so he knows about a wide range of issues throughout the campus," Lacy said. "Because of this, we knew he could move quickly and easily into the position."
Hudzik said he accepts the position because he wants to help the university succeed, and is confident that international studies will be taken care of in his absence.
Hudzik said his largest priorities in the position would be dealing with possible reorganization of the liberal arts and sciences, the possible move of part of the MSU College of Human Medicine to Grand Rapids, accreditation and bringing the Rare Isotope Accelerator to MSU.
"We have a lot of balls in the air right now, as well as a lot of opportunities," Hudzik said. "We ought to move as best we can to capitalize on these opportunities and we need to keep up our efforts to improve undergraduate education."
He also said he wants to try to bring some closure to what the university is going to decide in its plans to possibly restructure liberal arts.
"We need to figure out what the next steps are that we have to take so we enable administrators in figuring out which of these options look like they're on the table," Hudzik said.
The liberal arts reconstruction plan would have to go through the academic governance systems, and Hudzik said he has experience working with governance.
Chairman of the Executive Committee of Academic Council Jon Sticklen said he is confident that Hudzik will work well with the academic governance system.
"I'm sure we will have a good relationship and he will follow on as Provost Simon has in involving governance and the executive committee," Sticklen said. "John has his work cut out for him with all of the issues approaching completion and coming back to governance."
Abeles, who is the vice chairman of the executive committee, said he was happy to be nominated for the position, and is confident Hudzik would succeed in the job.
"I'm sure we will have a very positive relationship and I think he will do an excellent job as acting provost," Abeles said.
Dawn Pysarchik, who has worked with Hudzik for eight years as an associate dean of international studies and programs, says he is energetic and "tireless in his commitment to things he's passionate about."
"He can't stand to watch something languish, he has an amazing ability to manage many things at the same time," Pysarchik said. "He gives meaning to multitasking."
Although Hudzik admits that there are pressing issues facing the university and "the learning curve would start immediately and be powerful," but Pysarchik said she is confident he can handle the job.
"John loves a challenge and this is the next evolution of his administrative expertise," Pysarchik said.
