Searle to return full time to faculty
Ritchie named vice provost for academic personnel
Mark Searle, vice president for academic personnel in the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost and professor in the School of Community Resources and Development, is returning full time to the faculty. Searle also served as vice president and provost of ASU's West campus from 2004-2007 and vice provost for academic affairs from 2002-2004.
The position of vice provost for academic personnel in the Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost will be filled by Barry Ritchie, professor of physics and former interim vice president and dean of the New College of Interdisciplinary Arts and Science. Ritchie also chaired the Department of Physics and Astronomy at ASU from 2000 to 2006. He will continue to lead ASU’s preparation for reaccreditation in 2013.
“Mark will be sorely missed,” said Elizabeth D. Capaldi, executive vice president and provost. “He has contributed vastly to ASU, most recently in leading the university’s tenure and promotion process, and managing all academic personnel matters with grace, high standards and good judgment.
“In looking for a successor we wanted someone with prior experience leading an academic unit at ASU, and with the same qualities and ability to deal with people possessed by Mark. Barry Ritchie exemplifies these traits and was a clear choice for this position.”
Searle came to ASU's West campus in 1995, where he served as the founding dean of the College of Human Services until 2002. He began his work at ASU after an extensive career in Canada, where he was the founding director of the multidisciplinary Health Leisure and Human Performance Research Institute and head of an academic program in Recreation Studies at the University of Manitoba.
Prior to his university appointment, he served in various management positions with municipal and provincial government departments. He also has served as a consultant to various federal provincial and municipal governments, hospitals and not-for-profit organizations.
He received a bachelor's in psychology and political science from University of Winnipeg in 1976, a master's in physical education from the University of North Dakota in 1979, and a doctorate in recreation administration from University of Maryland in 1988.
Ritchie served as chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy from 2000 to 2006 and associate chair of the department from 1995 to 2000. He has been with ASU since 1984 and was promoted to professor of physics in 1996. His NSF-supported research group conducts experimental studies in subatomic physics at international accelerator facilities.
After receiving a bachelor's degree in physics from Appalachian State University, Ritchie earned a master's and a doctorate in nuclear physics from the University of South Carolina, and served as a postdoctoral research associate at both the University of South Carolina and the University of Maryland.