|  University of Texas at Arlington
President James D. Spaniolo today announced the appointment of
Donald R. Bobbitt as provost and vice president for academic affairs.
Bobbitt, currently dean of the J. William Fulbright College of
Arts and Sciences at the University of Arkansas, will join UT Arlington
on July 1. As provost and vice president for academic affairs,
he will serve as the University’s chief academic officer,
overseeing 11 colleges and schools, including the graduate school
and the honors college; research administration; research funding
and expenditures; student affairs; the libraries; strategic planning;
and distance education. He will also be professor of chemistry
in the College of Science.
“We are delighted to have Don Bobbitt join our leadership
team at UT Arlington,” said President Spaniolo. “He
is a gifted academic leader as well as a seasoned administrator,
and he is joining the University at one of the most exciting times
in our history. Under his tenure, UT Arlington will continue on
its trajectory as one of the nation’s fastest-advancing research
institutions.”
The search for a new provost was initiated by President Spaniolo
last September with the appointment of a 15-member search committee;
the committee was assisted and supported in its work by Auerbach
Associates, Inc., an executive search firm based in Boston. Following
an extensive national search, three finalists were identified for
the position; each visited campus in early March and participated
in individual public forums. Bobbitt was selected from those three
finalists.
“President Spaniolo assembled a committee which reflected
the full spectrum of the provost’s role at UT Arlington,” said
Beth Wright, dean of the UT Arlington College of Liberal Arts and
co-chair of the search committee. “The candidates who visited
campus and participated in public presentations were all impressive.”
“We had a strong pool of candidates, and we look forward
to working with Dr. Bobbitt in the future,” added John Priest,
professor of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering,
chair of the Faculty Senate, associate director of the Texas Radio
Frequency Innovation and Development Center, and co-chair of the
search committee.
Bobbitt is a respected teacher, researcher, and administrator
with more than two decades of experience working at a major research
institution. He has published and lectured extensively throughout
his career. At the University of Arkansas he processed through
the ranks, holding the positions of assistant professor, associate
professor, vice chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry,
chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, associate
dean for research and sciences, and interim dean. He was named
dean in 2003, and since then has continued teaching an Introductory
to Chemistry course each year.
During his tenure as dean, Bobbitt led a large and diverse college
of arts and sciences, including 19 academic departments and almost
7,000 students. He led the effort to increase external funding
from $14 million to $27 million and the number of endowed chairs
and professorships from one to 25 — fueled by $74 million
in fundraising.
Bobbitt earned his Ph.D. in analytical chemistry from Iowa State
University and his B.S. degree with high honors in chemistry from
the University of Arkansas. His area of research expertise is bio-analytical
chemistry, and he holds two patents in the field. He has received
significant research funding from the National Institutes of Health,
the National Science Foundation, and the Howard Hughes Medical
Institute. He has served as a consultant for Shell Chemical Company,
Sanyo Chemical Company, and Johnson and Johnson Pharmaceutical.
He has received numerous honors and awards, including the Alumni
Association Award in Teaching and Research from the University
of Arkansas.
“I am extremely honored and excited to be named to this
prestigious post,” says Bobbitt. “This is an exciting
challenge and a wonderful opportunity. UT Arlington is one of the
standouts of The University of Texas System, and I’m looking
forward to helping the University advance its ambitious plans.”
Bobbitt and his wife, Susan, have three sons.
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