FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 22, 2008
Contact: Michael Suess
Associate Vice President for Academic Personnel
805-756-2844
msuess@calpoly.edu
Erling Smith Named Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives and Planning
SAN LUIS OBISPO - Cal Poly has strengthened its leadership team once again, naming Erling Smith as vice provost for strategic initiatives and planning.
Smith comes to Cal Poly from the University of Connecticut, bringing 12 years of leadership and administration experience and more than 30 years of teaching experience to the vice provost position.
According to Cal Poly Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs William W. Durgin, Smith will be a welcome addition as Cal Poly builds on its work in support of the CSU strategic plan, Access to Excellence, to create its strategic plan and update its master plan. "Erling Smith will provide leadership to strengthen data-driven decision making as we identify and pursue the major initiatives that we will focus on during the next ten years. I am delighted to have such an accomplished academic leader join our team" said Durgin.
As vice provost, Smith will be responsible for providing leadership in supporting major academic initiatives, coordinating strategic planning and related activities, and implementing the university's master plan. He will supervise the office of institutional planning and analysis and report directly to the provost and vice president for academic affairs.
While at the University of Connecticut, Smith served as interim dean for the school of engineering and as the head of the department of civil and environmental engineering. He also served on the University Senate and the Graduate Faculty Council Executive Committee.
Smith has also held accreditation coordinator and associate dean positions with the University of Connecticut.
He earned his Ph.D. in engineering science from the University of Durham and his B.Sc. in civil engineering from the University of Leeds, both in the United Kingdom.
Smith will officially begin his new position on September 8.
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