Former UA Dean Donald R. Bobbitt named UA system president, reports University of Texas at Arlington, where he has been serving as vice president for academic affairs

Provost Donald R. Bobbitt has been selected as the University of Arkansas System president, according to several reports from Arkansas media outlets.

Bobbitt, 54, is a chemistry professor at UTA in addition to being vice president for academic affairs.

Donald Bobbitt

Bobbitt worked as the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences dean at the University of Arkansas from 2003 to 2008, according to his faculty bio webpage. He earned his bachelor's of science at the same institution.

Since 2008, Bobbitt has played an active role in the university's efforts toward pursuing Tier One, recognition as a national research institution.

"This is a great tribute to Provost Bobbitt and to the University of Texas at Arlington," President James Spaniolo relayed via email. "We congratulate Dr. Bobbitt on his selection and appointment to this prestigious position."

Blogger's personal comment:
I might have preferred an English major or a biologist, but my best friend from undergraduate and graduate days at Louisiana Tech was a chemistry major who got a Ph.D. in chemistry from LSU and was the most intelligent man I ever knew. His scores on the graduate-record exam were at the near-perfect level in all categories. He understood things I could only imagine.
So it sounds as though Dr. Bobbitt MIGHT be in the class with Ernest Ed Green. But, then, he doesn't have to be that smart to run the UA system well. But anything close should be enough to keep the UA system on course to do the right thing.