A familiar face will return to Indiana University of Pennsylvania to serve as its interim president while a search is conducted to find a permanent replacement for outgoing president Tony Atwater.
David J. Werner, a former chancellor of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, was named interim IUP president effective Aug. 1 by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Board of Governors on Thursday.
Werner, 67, of Glen Carbon, Ill., had worked for much of the 2007-08 academic year at IUP as its interim provost.
"I really like the institution, and I enjoy greatly the people there," Werner said of IUP. "It seemed like an interesting place to go back to."
Atwater announced Wednesday he was stepping down after five years at the helm at IUP to become a senior fellow with the American Association of State Colleges and Universities in Washington.
Werner, who served as chancellor of the 13,300-student Southern Illinois campus from 1997 to 2004, has spent the past several years taking on temporary assignments, including a stint as a visiting researcher at Ryukoku University in Kyoto, Japan.
In 2005-06, Werner served as interim president of Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, which is part of the state public university system.
Werner said he would be more than a caretaker president while at IUP.
"You try to move the institution forward, but in a way that doesn't bind the hands of the person taking over after you," he said of the interim role.
Werner said he and his wife, Kay, are excited about the opportunity. "I hope it's a great experience for everyone involved," Werner said.
Francisco Alacron, vice president of IUP's faculty union, said Werner was someone whose name had been brought up among faculty as a possible interim president.
The faculty voted in December that it had no confidence in Atwater, saying he had made poor decisions, particularly financially.
"I can tell you that in the short time (Werner) worked at IUP, he positively impressed the faculty," Alacron said. "He seems very reasonable, certainly a person who would make his own decisions, but he was very keen on shared governance and listening to other people's perspectives before making decisions."
David Osikowicz, chair of IUP's Council of Trustees, welcomed Werner's appointment.
"I think he's a wonderful choice for IUP at this point," Osikowicz said. "He has a wealth of experience not only at other universities throughout the country, but with the state system."
Werner will serve indefinitely until a new president is found for IUP. Osikowicz said that search will be a "slow and deliberate process."
In addition to Werner's selection, two other presidential appointments were made yesterday by the board of governors.
Karen M. Whitney, vice chancellor for student life and dean of students at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, will serve as the next president of Clarion University of Pennsylvania, effective July 1. Whitney will succeed Joseph P. Grunenwald.
Barbara Dixon, a former president of Truman State University, was named interim president of Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania effective July 1. She will take over while a search is conducted to replace Keith T. Miller, who will leave the university June 30 for the presidency of Virginia State University.
The board extended the contracts of the remaining 11 system university presidents through June 30, 2013.
