Michigan Tech Names New Provost
HOUGHTON, Mich. (June 26, 2000) -- Michigan Technological University announced today that Dr. Kent Wray has accepted the position of Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, effective September 1. His appointment is subject to approval by the MTU Board of Control at its regular meeting August 3.
Wray, currently dean of engineering and technology at Ohio University in Athens, succeeds Fredrick J. Dobney, who resigned his position at Michigan Tech earlier this year.
During his tenure at Ohio, Wray negotiated the establishment of the prestigious Fritz J. and Dolores H. Russ Prize in Engineering with the National Academy of Engineering and acquired $12.5 million in additional gifts to the College, raising the endowment from $28 million to $40 million. He also added four endowed professorships and developed a long-term advancement plan for the College.
He negotiated faculty and student exchanges and research agreements with five European research universities and was named chair of the Ohio Engineering Deans Council in 1998. He received the College-level Halliburton Outstanding Research and Halliburton Outstanding Teacher awards while at Texas Tech University and has 40 publications to his credit.
Before coming to Ohio, Wray was chairman of the Department of Civil Engineering at Texas Tech. During his tenure there, undergraduate enrollment in the department nearly doubled and graduate enrollment more than doubled. Prior to entering academia, he was an engineer with the Kansas Highway Department and a civil engineering officer with the U.S. Air Force. He has a B.S. in physics from Washburn University and B.S., M.S., and Ph.D degrees in civil engineering from Kansas State University, the Air Force Institute of Technology, and Texas A&M, respectively.
Wray's wife, Wanda, is a trial lawyer, specializing in criminal defense, and is looking forward to living in the Copper Country and enjoying water sports in the summer and snowmobiling in the winter. During his visits to the Michigan Tech campus, Wray was impressed with the MTU faculty's dedication to students and student learning, as well as the university's modern facilities.
"I'm also impressed with the institution's commitment to achieve Carnegie Doctoral/Research 1 status, and with the incredible alumni support and the success of the Leaders for Innovation capital campaign," he said. "The strategic plan is exciting! MTU is on the move. I've always been a builder and I think there is a super match between MTU, its goals, and me."
"We're very excited about getting someone of Kent Wray's caliber to fill this important leadership post at Michigan Tech," said MTU President Curt Tompkins. "He has an excellent track record, is a very innovative and enthusiastic administrator, and is held in high regard by his colleagues." Tompkins also thanked Dr. Stephen Bowen for what he termed "his excellent service" as Interim Provost since the departure of Provost Dobney. "Steve stepped in on very short notice and has done an absolutely outstanding job of conducting the affairs of the Provost's Office during the past few months," said Tompkins. "I'm personally very grateful for all he has done to help us while the Search Committee was engaged in evaluating the Provost candidates."
Tompkins also thanked the Search Committee for its effective and dedicated service.
MTU officials said Wray will receive an annual salary of $170,000, plus a car allowance of $11,454. He will also be a tenured professor in the university's Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Quote from Ohio University Provost Sharon Brehm: "I appreciate the leadership Kent Wray has given to the Russ College of Engineering and Technology over the past four years. He has overseen the appointment of excellent new faculty and has given attention and encouragement to the college's growing research effort. I'm sorry to lose him for Ohio University, but he goes to Michigan Tech with our blessing and our congratulations. He will be an outstanding provost there."
