Dr. Timothy S. Moerland has been named provost and vice president for academic affairs. He will begin his position on January 14, 2013.
Moerland comes to IUP from Kent State University, where he served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. Prior to that, he held several positions at Florida State University, including chair of the Department of Biological Science, interim director of the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Institute, and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Moerland replaces Dr. Gerald Intemann, who has served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at IUP since April 2008. In August 2011, Intemann announced his intention to retire from his position by the end of the 2012–2013 academic year.
“I want to thank all of the members of the provost search committee, especially chair Dr. Ben Rafoth, for all of their great work in bringing this search to a successful conclusion,” said President Michael Driscoll. “We had a number of excellent candidates, but I believe that Dr. Moerland is the right fit for our institution.
“Because of his research and teaching accomplishments as a faculty member, his successful management of large and complex academic units, and the breadth and depth of his successes in growing and sustaining strong academic and research programs at two doctoral research universities, Dr. Moerland is well positioned for IUP's current needs and aspirations for our future.
“I also want to offer my appreciation to Provost Gerald Intemann for his service to IUP,” Driscoll said.
Moerland has been a faculty member in the biological sciences departments at both Kent State University and Florida State University. He has a bachelor's degree in biological science from Michigan State University and master's and doctoral degrees in zoology from the University of Maine.
Moerland's research interests include biochemical and physiological mechanisms of temperature compensation; muscle physiology and the energetics of muscular contraction; and intercellular diffusion and molecular transport. He has been part of research projects that have been funded with more than $2.5 million in grants through a variety of federal agencies, including the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the National Institutes of Health. He has also authored more than 30 articles and chapters in scholarly publications in his field.
“I am deeply honored by this appointment and excited by the opportunity to lead the academic division at IUP,” Moerland said. “What drew me to IUP were the people I met, all of whom are genuinely committed to educational excellence and student success and providing high quality academic programs in a personalized environment. I look forward to working with the entire university community in leading IUP to the next level of academic excellence.”
The provost and vice president for academic affairs is the chief academic officer of the institution, reports directly to the president, and serves as acting president in the absence of the president. The provost and vice president for academic affairs also is a member of the president's senior cabinet.