Herbert appoints inaugural IU Presidential Fellow

IU President Adam Herbert appointed Bloomington law professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs John S. Applegate as the University's first Presidential Fellow Oct. 12.\nThe program, modeled after the White House Fellows program, will allow Applegate the opportunity to work as a full-time special assistant to the president for at least six months beginning Jan. 1, 2007, according to a press release issued by IU Media Relations.\n"The idea of having this kind of fellowship is a terrific one," Applegate said. "When I think of the people who are in positions like mine across the University, there are some very impressive people, which is why I feel very honored and flattered."\nHerbert got the idea for a Presidential Fellow from his days of serving as a White House Fellow in the Ford Administration in 1974, according to the release. He served for a year as special assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare.\nHerbert has an interest in developing leadership among the faculty and wants to give other professionals the experience and knowledge of the decision-making process at the presidential level.\n"As a White House Fellow, I was able to gain insight into how senior-level officials deliberate and make decisions," Herbert said in the release. "It was an immensely valuable experience, and I want to give similar opportunities to people who have great potential for higher levels of professional success."\nApplegate joined the faculty of the IU School of Law in 1998. He specializes in environmental law and is nationally recognized for his work in environmental risk assessment and policy analysis, according to the release.\nLast February, he was among 30 IU faculty members named to participate in the 2006 IU Leadership Development Project, according to the release. Known as IU LeaD, Herbert designed the program to emphasize the importance of leadership throughout the University, according to the release, and Applegate said he thinks his experience with the program will help him in his new position.\n"It's a great program," Applegate said. "The whole idea is to develop internal leadership skills. Having an organized, systematic introduction to issues such as budgeting, human resources and planning and negotiations has been tremendously helpful."\nHerbert said Applegate will continue to teach during the current semester but starting in January will be excused from his administrative and teaching duties at the law school to concentrate on his tasks as the Presidential Fellow. The position carries with it an array of responsibilities, notably the possibility of assisting in the presidential transition next spring and summer.\nHerbert said he hopes this is a program that will be around for a long time. \n"It is my hope that this will establish a tradition at IU that will continue long into the future with a Presidential Fellow appointed every year to work at the side of the president," Herbert said in the release.\nAlthough Applegate's position has not officially begun, he has already started to attend meetings of the presidential staff and board of trustees in order to get acquainted with the dynamics of the IU decision-making process.\nHe said Herbert is determined to make the last period in his presidency an active one and wants to accomplish a lot between now and the end of his presidency.\n"It's a very important and exciting time in the history of the institution," Applegate said. "Helping to make those things happen and make it an active transition in which IU moves forward and is not stagnant, that's the contribution I want to make"