Joseph Steinmetz tags Heard on the Hill

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Posted by Matt Erickson on January 23, 2013 at 1:47 p.m.

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Former KU dean Steinmetz to become provost at Ohio State

Joseph Steinmetz, a former dean of liberal arts and sciences at KU, is moving on up at Ohio State University, which he came to from KU in 2009. In July, he'll become the university's provost.

Steinmetz was also serving as interim provost at KU at the time he left for Ohio State, which was around the same time former Provost Richard Lariviere and former Chancellor Robert Hemenway also exited. He became executive dean of arts and sciences and vice provost at Ohio State, where he assumed leadership of a newly formed College of Arts and Sciences.

Steinmetz was announced as the new Ohio State provost in November, though Columbus Business First reported then that officials there had the promotion in mind when they first hired him.

He showed some apparent excitement about the job in an interview with Ohio State's student newspaper: "This place is hot and people around the country think this place is going places," he said.

I don't know if we can call this blog "hot," but between you and me, I think it's going places, too. But only with your help: Send those KU news tips to merickson@ljworld.com.

Update (8:40 a.m. Thursday):

Here's a clarification, courtesy of Don Steeples, a distinguished professor of geology who was serving as senior vice provost at the time Steinmetz left KU:

Steinmetz actually was not technically serving as interim provost when he left in 2009; he had been named interim provost after Lariviere announced his departure, but because he wound up leaving at the same time Lariviere did, he never actually took over the job. So, though stories from the time reflect that he had the title of interim provost, he never actually served in that capacity. The only acting provost between Larivere's departure and the arrival of Jeff Vitter was Danny Anderson, who's now KU's dean of liberal arts and sciences.

So, there's a lesson in KU administrative history for all of you (and me).