In an interview with campus newspapers last week, University Provost Jim O’Donnell spoke enthusiastically about his role and relationship with Georgetown. O’Donnell, who took office as provost in July, said that he wants to help make the Georgetown community more of what it is already becoming.
“I would like to solidify and enhance Georgetown’s position as a small, high quality research institution which competes well with the bigger institutions,” O’Donnell said.
Georgetown’s commitment to public service and worldwide community service are extremely impressive, said O’Donnell, and he hopes to continue this tradition into the future.
O’Donnell echoed President John Degioia’s commitments to both current building projects, such as the Southwest Quadrangle and the renovation of St. Mary’s and future projects, like a new home for the McDonough School of Business and a new science building.
In terms of academics, O’Donnell said that he is interested in continuing to improve upon Georgetown’s already high status.
“This is a place where remarkable people are found and a place to which these people come,” O’Donnell said.
O’Donnell said that he is concentrating on learning as much about Georgetown as he can and meeting as many faculty as possible.
“I don’t want to be a faceless administrator,” O’Donnell said.
O’Donnell described part of his job as being a “pretty face” for the University when welcoming guests here.
According to Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs Julie Green Bataille, in the few months that O’Donnell has been at Georgetown he has developed a positive reputation with other administrators. Bataille said that she has been impressed with O’Donnell’s work ethic and progress.
“In my dealings with Provost O’Donnell I’ve been impressed by his quick mastery of complex subjects, his good humor and his ability to coordinate a wide range of issues simultaneously,” Bataille said.
The Provost is the chief academic and administrative officer at Georgetown and is authorized to act for the President in his absence.
O’Donnell was chosen last March to replace Interim Provost Dorothy Brown who retired in June. He comes to Georgetown after 20 years at the University of Pennsylvania as a professor of Classical Studies and the university’s Vice Provost for Informational Systems and Computing.
In the press release announcing O’Donnell as the new Provost, President DeGioia described him as an “established scholar, talented teacher and effective administrator.”
O’Donnell said that he hopes to teach in the Classics Department starting next fall.
