Robert J. Sternberg
Last week the long debate over releasing the names of the candidates who could be the next president of the University came to an end after the board of trustees withdrew its lawsuit and announced four candidates who agreed to have their names released. Yesterday, Dr. Robert Sternberg from Oklahoma State University was announced as the next president.
The four candidates, who are all older white men, have held or hold a high level position at a large state university. In a nutshell, the four candidates all appeared to be qualified and fit for the job but Sternberg came out on top as the final choice.
Sternberg is an accomplished psychologist and was the provost at Oklahoma State University, a land grant university much like the University of Wyoming. According to his biography, he went to Yale as an undergrad and earned his Ph.D. from Stanford and was the president of the American Psychological Association in 2003.
Sternberg wrote in Inside Higher ED about why some universities fail to change, saying some universities “often have trouble changing themselves in any but the most superficial ways.” Hopefully his ideas for change at UW will leap off the page and become a reality.
Sternberg will face many challenges in coming to UW, including overseeing the Half Acre Gymnasium renovation and budget issues, which could lead to department cuts and staff layoffs. Parking will continue to be an issue on campus, especially if the number of students continue to grow.
And don’t forget about the Carbon Sink being removed, the increased role of online classes, or the increased percentage of nontraditional students. He will have his hands full with trying to make UW a better place, but also to adapt to the changing face of higher education.
The university tried to prevent a public uproar by releasing all the candidate’s names. But one thing is certain: Sternberg will have to hit the ground running when he takes office. Tom Buchanan made many positive changes to UW and only time will tell if Robert Sternberg will also leave a positive mark on campus.
