Lance T. LeLoup, vice provost for International Programs, has announced his decision to leave his position at the end of summer 2009. After completing his four-year term,
LeLoup will return to the department of political science, which he formerly chaired, to concentrate on research and teaching at the graduate and undergraduate level.
Provost Robert Bates said that LeLoup has a distinguished record as a faculty member and will continue to enhance WSU’s academic reputation. He noted that LeLoup won the Aaron Wildavsky Lifetime Achievement Award for Research on Public Budgeting in 2007 — the highest award in that field.
“We have made real progress on some collaborative degree programs with our international partners,” said LeLoup. “We now have a joint physics program with Catholic University in Belgium; a biosystems engineering program with University of Bologna in Italy; political science and global studies with the University of Bordeaux in France; and a partnership between the College of Business and the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in China.”
Bates also credited LeLoup for engaging the campus through the International Programs Advisory Council, the Faculty Senate Task Force on Internationalization, and the Global Studies Advisory Committee. “He has supported departments and colleges as they develop strategic partnerships and collaborative degree programs with top universities around the world. He helped rewrite the WSU strategic plan last year to better reflect the importance of giving our students global competency and expanding WSU’s global reach.”
LeLoup said he looks forward to working closely with Steven Hoch, WSU’s new provost, during the coming year while a national search for a successor will take place. “I think the future (of International Programs) is very bright,” he said. “The new provost has extensive experience in international programs both personally and professionally. And we have been able to assemble an outstanding team in our department with great leadership and commitment by the employees here.”
“It has been a tremendous honor to hold this position. It’s been a great professional challenge to me and I’ve really enjoyed it,” he said.
