By Larry B. Dendy
Three finalists have been chosen for the new position of senior vice president for academic affairs and provost at the university.
President Michael Adams will make a recommendation from among the finalists to the University System Board of Regents by midsummer, with a goal of having the provost at work at UGA in early fall.
Adams is creating the position of senior vice president for academic affairs and provost as part of his reorganization of the senior administration. William Prokasy, who has served as vice president for academic affairs under the former organization since 1987, will retire June 30.
William Gray Potter, head of UGA libraries and chair of the search committee, said the university is "fortunate to have three exceptionally qualified finalists" for the new position.
"This position is an extraordinary opportunity to provide leadership for the University of Georgia at a pivotal moment in its history," Potter said. "It will be a tough job, especially having to follow Bill Prokasy, but a very rewarding one."
Potter extended his thanks to the search committee for an excellent job. "We were blessed with a strong and broadly representative committee," he said.
Each finalist will visit campus, meeting with Adams and also with deans and other senior administrators, faculty, staff and student representatives. Hall visited on May 26; Holbrook will be here June 3 and Prager on June 4.
Kermit L. Hall
Hall joined Ohio State in 1994 as dean of the College of Humanities and became executive dean of the Colleges of the Arts and Sciences in 1996. He is also professor of history and law at OSU.
Previously he was dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tulsa and director and chair of the University Council on Faculty Development at the University of Florida. He was also chair of the history department at Florida and taught history at
Wayne State University and Vanderbilt University.
He received a bachelor's degree from the University of Akron, master's degrees from Syracuse University and Yale Law School, and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota.
Hall has a lengthy list of publications that includes books and book chapters, electronic publications, numerous articles, encyclopedia contributions and more than 90 reviews. He was a consultant for three programs dealing with constitutional issues on Maryland Public Television.
Hall was appointed by President Bill Clinton to the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Review Board and by the chief justice of the Supreme Court to the Historical Advisory Board of the Federal Judicial Center. He is on the board of trustees and directors of the American Society for Legal History and has held committee leadership positions with the Organization of American Historians and the American Historical Association.
Karen A. Holbrook
Holbrook has been vice president for research and dean of the Graduate School Office of Research, Technology and Graduate Education at the University of Florida since 1993. She is also professor of anatomy and cell biology and medicine.
She came to Florida after 24 years at the University of Washington, where she taught in the School of Medicine and was associate dean for scientific affairs.
She holds bachelor's and master's degrees in zoology from the University of Wisconsin and a doctorate from the University of Washington School of Medicine.
A specialist in the field of dermatology, Holbrook is co-author of 89 peer-reviewed publications and has taught courses for the American Academy of Dermatology. She is a past president of the Cutaneous Biology Foundation and has been on the board of directors and executive committee of the Society for Investigative Dermatology.
She was chair of the Council of Research Policy and Graduate Education for the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges and was on the board of directors of the Council of Graduate Schools.
She has organized and participated in programs for the National Institutes of Health and is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, where she chaired the AAAS section on biological sciences.
Susan Westerberg Prager
Prager joined the UCLA law school faculty in 1972 after earning her law degree there the previous year. She became dean in 1982 and is also the Arjay and Frances Fearing Miller Professor in the school.
After receiving bachelor's and master's degrees in history from Stanford University, she worked as a research assistant for U.S. Sen. Thomas Kuchel and as an administrative asssitant to U.S. Rep. Paul McCloskey. She also worked a year in a Durham, N.C., law firm.
Prager is a past president of the Association of American Law Schools and served on the advisory board of the American Bar Association Journal. She has led site-evaluation teams and served on committees for the American Bar Association and was on the Advisory Research Committee of the Fellows of the American Bar Foundation.
The author of book chapters and law review articles, she has been a speaker, panelist or participant for more than 80 conferences, workshops and other programs.
She served on the advisory board of the National Health Law Center and is a past vice president of the Stanford Board of Trustees.
The UCLA Law Alumni Association has named a new lifetime achievement award for Prager and will present the first award to her this month.
