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Provost candidates hail from Utah, Northern John M. Dunn, dean of the College of Health and professor of exercise and sport science at the University of Utah, and Frederick L. Kitterle, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and professor of psychology at Northern Illinois University are the two finalists for the position of provost and vice chancellor. Search committee chair William L. Muhlach, who also is the chair of the zoology department, said the committee selected the two after reviewing 20 applications and completing a round of airport interviews in April. "This has been hard work, and I would really like to credit the committee members for their diligence; we feel we have a couple of very strong candidates," Muhlach said. "We came to a very strong consensus over these two finalists as a result of the screening process. Now it's time for the campus to do its part." Muhlach hopes to have final recommendations back to Chancellor Walter V. Wendler within a week or two after the May 6-9 visits. "I'm very pleased, indeed, honored to be invited to the campus to interview for the position of provost and vice chancellor," Dunn said. "SIUC is an excellent institution with a rich history and a very promising future. "One of the immediate challenges that SIUC faces relates to the budget and how best to sustain academic programs, ensure access for students and fulfill other essential missions related to research and service to the public." Dunn said he has faced budget challenges at the University of Utah and Oregon State University and would consult the University community in looking for ways to contain costs and expand resources. Dunn has been dean of the College of Health at the University of Utah since 1995. Before that, he was on the faculty at Oregon State University for 20 years, last serving as associate provost there from 1990 to 1995. Dunn, a native of Pinckneyville, was assistant dean of Health and Human Performance at OSU from 1987 to 1990. Before that, he chaired the Department of Exercise and Sport Science from 1980 to 1987. He also served as director of the University's Special Physical and Motor Fitness Clinic. He began his teaching career at the University of Connecticut. Dunn holds bachelor's and master's degrees in physical education from Northern Illinois University. He holds a doctoral degree (Ed.D.) in physical education from Brigham Young University. He said that although he grew up in Southern Illinois, he enrolled at NIU where his uncle was on the faculty. Dunn's research interests lie in finding ways to enhance life for those with disabilities, especially their long-term health. Dunn serves as president of the Research Consortium of the American Alliance for Health Physical Education, Recreation and Dance and as editor of Quest, a scholarly publication for kinesiology scholars. He also serves on the executive committee of the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education. Kitterle has been dean at Northern Illinois University's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences since 1995. "I'm very pleased to be a finalist for an exceptionally important position at a distinguished university in this state and this nation," said Kitterle. As dean of the liberal arts college at NIU, Kitterle is well aware of the state's budgetary procedures and challenges. He has revised merit procedures for faculty and department chairs with attention to assessing teaching quality, initiated focused interest groups, coordinated general education studies, and developed a model for equity adjustments and salary compression. Prior to joining NIU, Kitterle served as dean of the College of Liberal Arts at Stephen F. Austin State University (Nacagdoches, Texas) for three years. There, he initiated a planning group for improving mathematical and science literacy, secured more than $1 million for a foreign language learning center and developed undergraduate research fellowship programs in all liberal arts and sciences departments. From 1972 to 1991, Kitterle was at the University of Toledo, where he chaired the psychology department and directed the graduate program in experimental psychology. While at the University of Toledo, he served as associate director of the Sensory Physiology and Perception Program at the National Science Foundation in Washington, D.C. Kitterle began his academic career in 1971, serving as a post-doctoral fellow at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Department of Psychology at Florida State University. His research interests include the effects of early experience on perception in later life, models of sensory coding, and sensory influences in hemispheric differences (of the brain) in perception. An elected fellow in the American Psychological Society, Kitterle is one of two individuals to receive a Pioneer Award in recognition of academic innovation at Stephen F. Austin State University. Kitterle also understands the budget constraints facing the University. "I'm well aware of austere budgets," Kitterle said. "I've been through this before in Ohio and had to deal with a series of significant budget cuts here at Northern. Despite these cuts, our college managed to increase the number of Ph.D. programs and increase external grants and contracts. We've been able to attract a cadre of distinguished faculty at the senior level despite the tough times." Kitterle holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Merrimack College (North Andover, Mass.), a master's degree in guidance and counseling from Assumption College (Worcester, Mass.) and a doctorate (Ph.D) in experimental psychology from the University of Massachusetts. -- Sue Davis May 15, 2002