The search for a new associate provost and dean of graduate studies has come to an end.

Gordon Emslie, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, said in an email announcement that pending approval of the Board of Regents, Carl Fox, Dean of the Graduate School at Montana State University, has accepted the position. Fox will step into the new role on March 25, 2013.

“He will be responsible for positioning and sustaining WKU as a destination of choice for graduate students, and in ensuring not only the continued quality of our graduate programs, but also their central role in the scholarly mission of the university,” Emslie said in the announcement. “I am confident that the very significant knowledge and experience that Dr. Fox brings will serve him well in his new role.”

Emslie also listed Fox’s achievements and qualifications for the job in the announcement, including that Fox served as vice provost and dean of graduate studies at Northern Arizona University before assuming his appointment at Montana State, where he oversees some 50 master’s programs and 20 doctoral programs.

Emslie said the fact that Fox has served as a dean in graduate education at two other institutions was a factor in his decision to hire Fox.

Kelly Madole has been serving as interim dean since July and will continue to do so until Fox arrives.

“Kelly has moved the graduate studies enterprise forward considerably in only a few short months, and she will continue to serve as interim dean until Dr. Fox arrives,” Emslie said.

Emslie also said Madole did not apply for the permanent position.

Emslie thanked the search committee for “their diligent work in identifying such a strong pool of candidates, from which Dr. Fox emerged as a clear first choice.”

Doug McElroy, associate vice president for Academic Affairs, headed the search committee for the position. He said there were originally about 68 applicants and each member of the committee reviewed all of the files.

“…They evaluated each of the applicants relative to the required qualifications for the position,” McElroy said.

Through a series of meetings, the committee narrowed the search down and carried out phone interviews, which led them to the four finalists who came to campus to interview.

“It’s not the role of the search committee to make the hiring decision,” he said.

In the end, the role of the committee was to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of each of the finalists that were brought to campus for interviews, McElroy said.

“We had a very diverse applicant pool,” he said.

Emslie said Fox won’t be assuming the position for a few months because it will take time for him to wrap things up at his current job.

“The type of person we’re looking for is likely to be a person with significant responsibilities in their existing job and it just takes a while for them to be brought to a conclusion.”

In an announcement on the website, Fox said he is honored and excited to become a part of WKU.

“WKU is strongly positioned to be a destination of choice for students seeking a graduate degree and I am looking forward to being part of the academic leadership team to foster and enhance excellence at WKU,” Fox said.