Former provost to serve as Rice dean

After 18 years of service at the University, former University Provost Gilbert Whitaker is returning to his alma mater.

Whitaker

Whitaker, who earned his bachelor's degree in economics at Rice University in 1953, has accepted the dean position at the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Administration at Rice. Whitaker is set to take office July 1.

Rice Provost David Auston said he is "extremely excited" about Whitaker's arrival.

"I think it's just terrific," Auston said. "It's unfortunate for the University of Michigan, but it's very fortunate for us. It's great that he's a graduate of Rice. In some way it's like he's coming home."

Business Dean Joseph White said he is sorry to see Whitaker leave the University, but believes Whitaker is an excellent candidate for the Rice position.

"I think Gil is a great choice to be dean at Rice," White said. "It's his alma mater. Gil brings an enormous amount of experience to his position at Rice. Rice is very fortunate to attract him."

During the past year, Rice appointed a task force to develop a vision and create a plan of action for the future of the Jones School.

The steering committee, headed by Auston, produced a list of ways to improve the school in anticipation of hiring a new dean, Auston said.

The list includes becoming nationally accredited, developing an executive MBA program, building new partnerships with the surrounding Houston business area and strengthening and increasing the faculty and student body. It will be Whitaker's responsibility to make these goals a reality, Auston said.

"He's an outstanding administrator," Auston said. "He's a scholar. He's had extensive experience. We are certainly aware of the outstanding work he did at the University of Michigan."

After spending more than 11 years as dean of the University's School of Business Administration, Whitaker served as University provost from September 1990 to August 1995.

Chemistry Prof. Thomas Dunn, outgoing chair of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs, said Whitaker's administrative style was too business-focused.

"He has a very business approach to everything," Dunn said. "He has a very bottom-line approach to problems. I think he's a very smart guy. He certainly knows finance and budgeting, which may be helpful for running a business school, but from my point of view he was not quite aware of the rest of the University."

As a result of Whitaker's work with SACUA, the board became more concerned with budget as it pertains to policy, which was mostly a positive change, Dunn said.

"I was very interested in his approach to things," Dunn said. "It was just much more business-oriented, more customer-product-oriented, than we are used to at Michigan."

Dunn said Whitaker is very qualified for the position at Rice, and the two will be a good match.

"He made a lot of difference here," Dunn said. "He started a lot of programs at the business school here. Gil brought a breath of fresh air to the business school. He brought a real sense of business to the Business School. I think Rice and Gil will do very well together."

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