Illinois State University has named Aondover Tarhule the new vice president and provost for Academic Affairs.
Tarhule is currently the vice provost and dean of the Graduate School at Binghamton University in New York, part of the State Universities of New York system. Tarhule's bio provided by ISU indicated he helped create new degree programs, developed international partnerships, and implemented several innovations to data and workflow software.
He is a physical geographer featured in National Geographic and Nature magazines. His scholarly work has looked at how climate impacts water scarcity and security. Tarhule has also consulted for the World Bank and the Niger Basin Authority, and done research supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Agency for International Development.
Tarhule has served in other administrative posts at the University of Oklahoma. His academic degrees come from McMaster University in Canada and Jos University in Nigeria.
“I am humbled and thrilled to have been selected to serve as the next vice president and provost of Illinois State University,” said Tarhule. “From the moment I stepped foot on campus, I was immediately struck by how committed and invested everyone was to the future of the institution. President Larry Dietz and his entire leadership team are amazing. The university has a record of prudent management and is well positioned to take advantage of emerging opportunities in the higher education landscape.”
Dietz said Tarhule's vast experience and knowledge lifted him to the top of a very qualified pool of candidates.
"My thanks to the provost search committee and all who contributed to this decision through shared governance. We look forward to Dr. Tarhule becoming a Redbird," said Dietz.
In his new role, he will be responsible for academic program review and works collaboratively with vice presidents and deans of academic colleges. He will replace Jan Murphy, who served in the role since 2017 and will retire this summer.
Tarhule's salary will be $300,000 per year. As a point of comparison, President Dietz's base salary is $375,000.
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