New University President Announcement Open Thread EDIT: It's Dr. Mark Schlissel, Provost at Brown

Submitted by James Burrill Angell on

It's official, the University is holding a press conference now at 10am to announce the name of the new (and only 14th) President of the University of Michigan.

LINK:http://www.freep.com/article/20140124/NEWS06/301240048/U-M-to-name-new-president

LINK #2: http://www.michigandaily.com/blog/wire/regents-have-special-meeting-friday-morning

 Supposedly the Michigan Daily may Liveblog it (not kidding). WIll post link if they do.I just wonder if they'll do the whole picking hats and putting the winner on their head thing.

EDIT: Better than a Liveblog, the University is posting a live broadcast of the news conference here: http://umich.edu/watch/

 EDIT #2: Its Dr. Mark Schlissel, the current provost at Brown and former Dean of biochem at Cal-Berkeley. Here's the pic & bio: http://www.brown.edu/Administration/Provost/people/about_schlissel.html

EDIT #3 - NO YOU DO NOT REMEMBER HIM FROM HIS ROLE IN "THE HOBBIT"

James Burrill Angell

January 24th, 2014 at 8:56 AM ^

I'm still putting my money behind either Phyllis Wise of Illinois or Lou Anna Simon at MSU.

I also stand behind the fact that search wouldn't have been as secretive as it was if it was going to be an internal candidate like Dean Munson from Engineering or Martha Pollack, the current Provost. If it is one of them or another internal candidate, the press has a right to question because that means we likely struck out with bigger name candidates and I'd like to know why.

bdsisme

January 24th, 2014 at 9:27 AM ^

Actually, yes. There was a flight from Willow Run (Ypsi) to Columbus, Indiana yesterday.  This flight has occurred multiple times in the past, however, so it probably doesn't have anything to do with the search.  There has been a fair amount of activity in the past couple days, so hard to pin anything down: http://flightaware.com/live/airport/KYIP

AriGold

January 24th, 2014 at 9:01 AM ^

a rich person who will bask in the glory of a job with little accountability (by that I mean as long as they don't do anything to get arrested they will keep their job until retirement)

James Burrill Angell

January 24th, 2014 at 9:23 AM ^

Get real you two. It has to be someone with serious academic credentials or the faculty would skewer him/her. It will be someone who was at least a Dean if not Provost or Chancellor from another (or maybe our own) University. This isn't like naming Bill Martin or Dave Brandon the Athletic Director. The President has to keep the Deans and faculty in line and you don't do that unless you're proverbial academic dick is as big as theirs.

Built Ford Tough

January 24th, 2014 at 9:36 AM ^

I would hope Theresa Sullivan from UVA comes back. Probably a long shot, but that would be my first pick. Also, thanks JBA for your informative diaries on the search. It's been a very closed process, so who really knows anything, but your analysis was great. Guess we'll all find out in 25 minutes or so who #14 will be.

MGoUberBlue

January 24th, 2014 at 9:58 AM ^

To the announcement.  It will be someone with a great academic track record with positive administration and fund raising capabilities.  That person will also have a positive attitude toward the impact of very high quality athletics on fund raising and attracting quality students.

Brandon seems to be lacking a few of those.

PeterKlima

January 24th, 2014 at 10:02 AM ^

Who hold a press conference to introduce a new President?

I bet Dave Brandon told the Regents to fire Mary Sueand hire this new person!!

 

-  signed, MSUFanboy - Mike Valenti

MaizeAndBlueWahoo

January 24th, 2014 at 10:22 AM ^

I dunno....Brown is weird.  It's a little hard for me to go into further critical detail about my thoughts without opening up a political can of worms, but....that pedigree carries certain implications.  Let's just say one of the things I like best about Teresa Sullivan at UVA is that I literally have absolutely no idea what her politics are, which is as it should be for any university president.....whereas a guy who comes from Berkeley and Brown stands a good chance of wearing his politics on his sleeve.  I'm rather wary at best.

MGoBender

January 24th, 2014 at 11:21 AM ^

I think it is reasonable from the prior post that you think/could think MSC's background in sciences did something to prevent her from being an advocate for humanities.

You post practically said that, jsut without saying MSC:

 

I'll be honest, I'm a bit wary of a second consecutive president with a science background. But that's just me, slaving away in the humanities...

How are you not implying that MSC's science background was an issue for humanities?

Not saying you meant that or that's what you believe, but I think a reasonable person would infer that with your post.

Section 1

January 24th, 2014 at 11:37 AM ^

I get the impression that he is a doctor, who happened to like the academic world.

Which goes to the point that the University of Michigan is gradually becoming a health maintenance organization, with an attached learning facility.  And one of the world's largest health clubs.

CodeBlue82

January 24th, 2014 at 3:52 PM ^

He's a serious biomedical scientist turned academic administrator, rather than a practicing clinician. I didn't find his name in the Doc Finder database, and the only license I found was issued in Maryland in 1991and expired in 1993. But he did complete a Hopkins residency in internal medicine and was board certified. He's cared for sick patients and knows what it is to be entrusted with, and lose, a life. So, in my book, he's a real doctor with a love for learning. 

MGoRob

January 24th, 2014 at 10:17 AM ^

All research is floundering for funds, including science fields.  And especially non-human-specific biology.  I should have been an engineer.  The fact that I can spend 5-6 years getting a PhD only to make an additional 10k as a postdoc seems ridiculous.  And unfortunately, if you count the number of hours postdocs work, that can equate to $15/hr or less.  That's barely living wages.  Especially if you have a family.

WolverBean

January 24th, 2014 at 11:00 AM ^

Actually, even as an engineer, post-doc wages are only 10k better than the PhD stipend if you stay in academia. It's a little better at a national lab, but still nowhere close to having a "real" job. On a financial and opportunity cost basis, if you want to get paid, getting a PhD is a bad idea; doubly so if you're in a field where you'll end up having to do a post-doc after.

Also, if you think about it, the fact that the position "post-doc" even exists tells you how much of a buyer's market jobs in the sciences are, even for the highly educated.