DONALD J. FOSS NAMED CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER
FOR UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM, UH
HOUSTON, March 16, 2005 – Donald J. Foss has been named senior
vice chancellor for academic affairs for the University of Houston
System and senior vice president for academic affairs and provost
for the University of Houston.
His appointment was announced today by UH System Chancellor and
UH President Jay Gogue.
Foss is expected to assume this position in July 2005. The appointment
is subject to approval by the UH System Board of Regents at its
April 6 meeting. Foss has been the dean of the College of Arts and
Sciences at Florida State University in Tallahassee, Fla. since
1995.
“We are delighted to have Dr. Foss join the University of
Houston System and the University of Houston. Dr. Foss is highly
respected in the academic world as a researcher and as an administrator,”
Gogue said. “He will make a great addition to the UH System
and to the University of Houston. I also want to thank Dr. Jerald
Strickland for his admirable service as interim senior vice chancellor
for academic affairs and senior vice president for academic affairs
and provost. Dr. Strickland has done an outstanding job in reorganizing
the division. His guidance and leadership have greatly benefited
our students and faculty.” Strickland has served as interim
since September 2003.
“I cannot think of a greater opportunity than to help lead
the UH System and the University of Houston as they continue along
their trajectory to greatness,” Foss said. “I am delighted
to become part of such vibrant, important and caring institutions,
and I deeply appreciate the support of the search committee and
the trust that Chancellor and President Gogue has placed in me.
My wife, Pat, and I are looking forward to our return to Texas,
and we are excited about becoming members of the UH System family.”
The Minneapolis native holds a Ph.D. in experimental psychology
with a minor in child development from the University of Minnesota
(U of M). Prior to serving as an FSU dean, he was psychology chair
and professor at the University of Texas at Austin. Foss is a fellow
of the American Psychological Association, American Psychological
Society, Psychonomic Society and the American Association for the
Advancement of Science. He is the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement
Award from the U of M (1993) and the Outstanding Graduate Teaching
Award from UT (1986). Foss was a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard
University from 1966-1967.
“As provost, I look forward to working with individual colleges
to strengthen them and to build interdisciplinary possibilities.
I will also search for ways to improve our students’ educational
experiences, and to build on the human capital to maximize research
opportunities, teaching effectiveness, and overall efficiency,”
he said.
Foss was selected from more than 50 candidates following a national
search. Led by Chair and Physics Professor Paul Chu along with Vice
Chair and Chemical Engineering Professor Michael Harold, the search
committee earlier identified him as one of three top candidates
in their recommendation to Chancellor Gogue.
Foss and his wife have two daughters: Melissa, an editor and writer
in New York City, and Lara, who owns a consulting and software business
in Austin. He enjoys outdoor sports, including alpine hiking, and
says he is looking forward to conquering the highest hill he can
find in Houston.
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON SYSTEM
The University of Houston System is the state’s only metropolitan
higher education system, encompassing four universities and two
multi-institution teaching centers. The universities are the University
of Houston, a nationally recognized doctoral degree-granting, comprehensive
research university; the University of Houston-Downtown, a four-year
undergraduate university beginning limited expansion into graduate
programs; and the University of Houston-Clear Lake and the University
of Houston-Victoria, both upper division and master’s-level
institutions. The centers are the UH System at Sugar Land in Fort
Bend and the UH System at Cinco Ranch. In addition, the UH System
includes KUHF-FM, Houston’s National Public Radio and classical
radio station, and KUHT-TV, the nation’s first educational
television station.
For more information about UH visit the universitys Newsroom
at www.uh.edu/admin/media/newsroom.
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