Illinois college administrator Tony Waldrop has been selected by a search committee made up of students, faculty and administrators as the top candidate for the post of vice chancellor for Research and Graduate Studies.
"The University has made an offer," committee chairman Fred Brooks said. "The matter is awaiting action from the Board of Trustees."
Brooks said Waldrop, who holds three UNC degrees and has served on the General Alumni Association, had committed to accepting the position, pending approval by the University's Board of Trustees and UNC system Board of Governors.
BOT Chairwoman Anne Cates said she expects the search committee to submit a name to the board in time for its July 26 meeting. "The Board of Trustees has not been a part of that search up to this point," Cates said.
She said she personally had been impressed with Waldrop's abilities in the General Alumni Association.
"We'd be pleased to have him back in Chapel Hill," Cates said.
The position is an important one because of the University's research interests and new focus on genomics, said epidemiology graduate student George Jackson, a student representative on the search committee.
"Research is a fundamental component of the mission of the University, as is graduate education," Jackson said. "This person acts as an advocate for the faculty, students and staff on issues relating to research."
Jackson said Chancellor James Moeser is raising the position from that of vice provost to vice chancellor to stress the importance of research.
