Gary Shapiro is returning to Warriner Hall.

The dean of the College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences was named interim provost by interim university president Kathy Wilbur earlier this week.

Shapiro served as interim provost in 2007 before current Provost Julia Wallace was appointed in 2008. Wallace will begin serving as provost of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay today.

Wilbur made the appointment late Sunday, said Steve Smith, director of Public Relations.

The decision to select the dean of the College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences was made on his past experiences in that role, Smith said.

“He had served in this role before and did well,” he said. “He’s also the longest serving dean at CMU. He was a good fit for this.”

But this time, Shapiro said, there are many other issues that CMU has that he didn’t face in 2007. With the development of the medical school and the issue of state appropriations, he will to work to maintain the focus on the students’ needs.

“The university is going to face some interesting issues. We’ll move the university forward,” he said. “What’s always the same is that we don’t lose sight to what the university is all about.”

Shapiro said he and Wilbur worked closely together in 2007 when he was interim provost, which he said will help the two in their roles beginning today.

Smith said the search for a new provost will not likely happen before next summer, when the new president is scheduled to take over.

“The Board has indicated they would like a permanent president (before a new provost is selected),” he said.

Shapiro said he would be working on appointing an interim dean of the College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences later this week. He said it would be “very likely” Associate Dean Pamela Gates would take over as interim dean, but said the decision had not been made.

news@cm-life.com

E-mail the author: David Veselenak