Juan Garcia

Academic affairs position narrowed down to three

The three finalists for the position of vice provost for academic affairs were announced yesterday.

Juan Garcia, head of the history department, Barbara Mills, professor of anthropology, and Kathryn Reed, professor of obstetrics and gynecology, were revealed as the three nominees for the job.

The position includes recruiting and retaining faculty and obtaining a more diverse staff for the university.

One of the three candidates will take over the position held by Beth Mitchnek since the former vice provost, Elizabeth Ervin, retired in August.

Ervin earned a little less than $140,000.

"Beth really has done an amazing job," said Provost George Davis. "All the nominees know they have a hard act to follow."

"I know the team has selected very qualified individuals," Davis said. "This is a tremendous opportunity. The position is all about supporting the colleges in recruiting and retaining the highest quality of faculty."

Barbara Mills

Garcia, who is also a finalist for the position of vice provost for instruction, graduated from the University of Notre Dame and has been teaching history at the UA since 1981. He was named the head of the history department this summer.

"The philosophy behind Focused Excellence really appeals to me," Garcia said. "I have the experience and feel that this would be my way to repay the UA."

Garcia believes that it is important to focus on diversifying the staff, not only by recruiting more women and minorities, but also finding diversity within teaching style and curriculum.

"We need diversity in terms of ideas, not just different people," he said.

Mills has been a professor of anthropology at the UA for 12 years. She also taught at NAU for two years prior to arriving at the UA.

"I hope to be able to monitor junior faculty," Mills said. "It is important to make sure they understand the promotion process and tenure."

If nominated, it will be hard for Mills to give up teaching, she said.

"I love teaching and it will be difficult to give up some teaching time, but it is worth it to affect changes at a wider level," she added.

Kathryn Reed

Kathryn Reed graduated from the UA in 1974. She has been teaching obstetrics and gynecology at the UA since 1977 and feels that her longtime experience will help in the position.

Reed also stressed that a diverse staff is not only important for faculty members but for students as well.

"Students who see faculty that both inspire and resemble them will be stimulated differently than students that see a non-homogenous faculty," Reed said. "When students see diverse staff they can see that they have the possibility of doing it too. It is encouraging to see people that look like you."

The position will be filled in January.

"The individual chosen will need to get to know the faculty as well as possible," Mitchnick advised.