Tuesday, September 16, 2003

Wilmington – UNC Wilmington Chancellor Rosemary DePaolo today announced that she has asked Dr. Robert E. Tyndall to add senior management oversight of the Division for Public Service and Continuing Studies to his current responsibilities as associate provost and vice chancellor for the Information Technology Systems Division.

Tyndall will assume the new duties Sept. 30 upon the retirement of Dr. James Edmundson, who has served as interim vice chancellor for public service since June. This will be Edmundson’s second retirement from UNCW, having served 25 years in the field of continuing education. Tyndall will retain his new duties until a new person arrives after a national search is conducted, likely by July 1, 2004.

“Bob Tyndall has wide-ranging experience in university leadership, working as professor, dean, and vice chancellor, and his record in establishing outreach initiatives in distance education and service to public schools is outstanding,” said DePaolo. “I’ve asked him to apply his leadership skills to analyzing and managing the university’s critical public service mission, just as he developed an overall framework strategically to align UNCW’s information technology resources.”

“I have asked Bob Tyndall to focus and extend the vision for public service and outreach,” DePaolo noted. “UNCW is well known for its outreach, and I am committed to taking more of the natural research and educational work of the university into the community.”

“It is vital to the health of this institution that the external community know and interact with UNCW. I want the public to have a personal experience with the campus,” she said.

Tyndall came to UNCW in 1988 as assistant dean of the school of education, was named dean in 1991, and became vice chancellor of the Information Technology Systems Division in 1999.

His technology initiatives began in the early 1990s with a pilot project to have university professors teach courses in high schools across the state using the Information Highway. Technology-related achievements at UNCW include standardization of computer equipment and e-mail accounts, equipping “smart” classrooms, supporting professors in developing online courses, bringing wireless technology to campus, and providing ample computer labs at convenient locations for students. He has also written grants resulting in more than $35 million during his career.

“I am honored by the confidence the chancellor has placed in me,” Tyndall said. “It is critical that service to UNCW’s region and the professional community never be viewed as an add-on. Our outreach efforts must be linked to the university’s day-to-day life. I hope my temporary service in this capacity will provide a strong foundation for the new public service leader fully to develop Chancellor DePaolo’s vision for this area.”

To free up time to devote to the new responsibilities, Tyndall has assigned added duties to two of his assistants. Associate Vice Chancellor Scott Cowdrey will become more involved in the logistical operations of ITSD. Director of Computing Services Bobby Miller will have greater responsibilities dealing with the physical infrastructure associated with the extensive construction projects underway on campus.

###

Dr. DePaolo can be reached at 910/962-3030; Dr. Tyndall can be reached at 910/962-3888.