SPEA dean appointed as LSU provost

Eliminating herself as a possible candidate for the vacant IU provost position, Astrid Merget, dean of the IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs, announced her intent to become executive vice chancellor and provost of Louisiana State University at the end of the summer. \nMerget, who has served as SPEA’s dean since 2000, arrived at IU after serving as director of Ohio State University’s School of Public Policy and Management and associate dean of the College of Business. \nAfter a provost search that had lasted almost 10 months, Merget was selected for the position from a pool of about 60 candidates, said Bill Daly, chair of LSU’s Provost Search Committee. The selection pool was later narrowed to four finalists. Along with Merget, Purdue University’s Dean of Science Jeffrey Vitter also made the final four. \nDaly described an immediate connection between Merget and the LSU faculty as a cause for optimism. \n“In general, she was very well-liked by the faculty who got to interview her,” he said. \nAlso, her experience as both a university dean and “extensive experience in administration” served as deciding factors in her selection. \nPrimarily, the executive vice chancellor and provost position at LSU will require Merget to lead many of the school’s internal operations. \nSimilar to how IU conducts a provost search, the LSU search committee requested candidate nominations. Following her nomination, Merget was contacted with a request that she submit an official application for the position, Daly said. \n“Initially, she was a little concerned whether she should apply or not,” he said. \nIn February, Merget participated in an initial round of off-site interviews. Then, in early April, she visited LSU and was interviewed once again, Daly said. \nDuring her tenure at IU, Merget was praised by University leaders for recruiting minority faculty. Under her leadership in 2005, SPEA was also named the nation’s third best school for public affairs by “U.S. News and World Report.” \n“As she leaves the deanship of IU SPEA, Astrid can be proud of leading one of the largest and best public affairs schools in the country,” IU President-elect Michael McRobbie said in a news release.\nAssuming her appointment is approved by LSU’s board of supervisors, Merget will start her new job Aug. 1.