USD Magazine, Spring 1996

itf iitf itl ffi I LMANAC I

Gai.haftc CJclucal1an Beader c5efeclecfas Xew !J+ouosl

!Aym-lnng smch foe a new University of San Diego provost and aca– demic vice president ended in January when Francis M. Lazarus was selected from three finalists to fill the position. Lazarus, currently vice president for aca– demic affairs at Wisconsin's Marquette University, will on July 1 succeed Sister Sally Furay, who is retiring after 24 years as USD's provost. Lazarus says he was attracted to USD "because it is a young and dynamic uni– versity with lots and lots of potential." He's also eager to work with President Alice B. Hayes, whom he has known professionally for many years but never worked with directly. A native of Elma, N.Y., Lazarus joined Marquette in 1988 after eight years as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Dayton in Ohio. Prior to joining Dayton, he was associate academic dean at Salem College in Winston-Salem, N.C. During his seven years there, Lazarus was chairman of classics and director of the honors program. Lazarus' administrative experience dates from his years in North Carolina and a one-year stint in 1978 as special assistant to the president of Memphis State University, which came after he was named an administrative fellow of the American Council on Education. Throughout his career as an admin– istrator, Lazarus has continued the scholarly work in Latin literature and archaeology he began when he earned a master's and a doctorate in classical languages from Cornell University. One of his main interests is tracking the idea of luck and good fortune through Latin literature, he says.

Falhar lliduu,I P. Mdlrien

FUTURE TALK A sellout crowd packed the Hahn University Center Forum on Feb. 2 to hear Father Richard P. McBrien, one of America's most prominent theologians and a theology professor at the University of Notre Dame, deliver a speech titled "The Future of the Church: Looking Toward the Third Christian Millennium." Father McBrien, the author of 15 books including the Encyclopedia of Catholicism, drew upon current trends, changes and priorities in Catholicism to project the themes and ideas that will play key roles in determining the future course of the Catholic Church. The audience alternated between applause, laughter and reflection during the one– hour talk, as the charismatic Father McBrien traced the evolution of the Catholic Church, discussed the changes rooted in Vatican II and challenged Catholics to spur a new era of renewal and reform as the millennium approaches.

Francis M. Lazarus

Lazarus currently uses his spare moments to study Greek architecture and Roman epic poetry. In February, he delivered a paper to the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities on the history and current standing of aca– demic freedom in Catholic universities. As provost at USD, Lazarus says he plans to continue his research, both for personal development and as a role model for the faculty. His interaction with the faculty during the interview process and initial look at USD's academic affairs immediately impressed Lazarus. The diversity of aca– demic programs, the exceptional creden– tials of the professors and the dedication to both teaching and scholarship convinced Lazarus USD was the next natural step in his career. "I am a person who is absolutely dedi– cated to the academic development of the university and faculty," Lazarus says. "My goal will be to work with the deans and faculty to mount the best possible academic program for the students. Excellence is really the bottom line."

U S D