Regents Approve New UH Manoa Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Neal J. Smatresk - University of Texas educator - takes new post in May
University of Hawaiʻi at MānoaDirector of Public Affairs
Kate Wester, (808) 956-9095
External Affairs & University Relations
The University of Hawaiʻi Board of Regents today approved the appointment of Neal J. Smatresk to be UH Manoa Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. Smatresk comes to Manoa from his current position at the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA), where he has been Dean of the College of Science since 1998.
"I look forward to having Dr. Smatresk join the senior management team at Manoa," said Chancellor Peter Englert. "Faculty and staff had a chance to meet with him and hear his ideas during a campus visit last year, and they reacted with enthusiasm. His broad experience and demonstrated leadership skills will serve the campus well as we implement our strategic plan to maintain excellence and bring new focus to our academic programs."
The Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs serves as the chief academic officer for the campus and is the principal deputy to the Manoa chancellor.
"Accepting this position was an easy decision considering UH Manoa‘s outstanding faculty and the remarkable strides the institution has made in the past few years," Smatresk said. "During my visit I was impressed with Chancellor Englert‘s vision and the university community‘s commitment to moving forward their strategic plan. This is a great opportunity to join a dynamic leadership team that will help UH Manoa emerge as a preeminent institution. I look forward to my upcoming visits and the chance to get better acquainted with the university and Hawaiʻi‘s diverse communities."
The new Vice Chancellor has been in teaching and administrative positions at UTA since 1982, including four years as Chair of the Biology Department prior to his selection as Dean of Science in 1998. Previously, he conducted post doctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania.
Smatresk received his Ph.D. in Zoology at the University of Texas at Austin, his master‘s in biology at the State University of New York in Buffalo, and bachelor‘s degree in biology at Gettysburg College. His appointment is effective May 20, 2004. However, as the Spring semester proceeds, he will be on the Manoa campus for one week periods each month to begin the transition to his new post.
[Note to editors: Further information about Dr. Smatresk — including a photograph, his resume and a statement of leadership philosophy and management style — may be accessed on the Web at www.hawaii.edu/executivesearch/vcacademicaffairs .]
For more information, visit: http://www.hawaii.edu/executivesearch/vcacademicaffairs