Interim provost named permanent provost of SRU
Following a long national search process, Slippery Rock University named Michael Zieg provost and vice president for academic affairs, after he served in the interim role since April 2022.
A Tuesday, Nov. 28 news release from SRU said more than 70 people applied for the role, including current deans, associate provosts and provosts at institutions from across the country, ranging from small private colleges to regional public universities. Four candidates attended on-campus interviews, and the campus community was also invited to engage in the search process.
According to the news release, Zieg spent the last 20 years of his career at the university, starting as a professor of geography, geology and environment in 2003. He served as a department chair from 2013 to 2017; interim dean of the College of Health, Engineering and Science from 2019 to 2021; and associate provost for academic planning, budget and strategic initiatives in 2022, before becoming interim provost.
“SRU has been my professional home for my entire career, and I recognize what an honor it is to continue working with such great colleagues in a special community like Slippery Rock,” Zieg said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to work alongside president (Karen) Riley, pursuing the goals and vision she is setting for the university.”
The search committee was made up of 11 people from various roles in the university. The news release said recently inaugurated university president Karen Riley made the final decision to select Zieg for the role.
“Dr. Zieg has an impressive academic record and an administrative record that includes working successfully across constituent groups,” Riley said. “His proven commitment to students and to ensure academic excellence is laudable, and his ethical approach serves as an exemplar in administration.”
