MADISON, Wis. - University of Wisconsin System President Kevin P. Reilly today announced that Gilles Bousquet (zheel boo-SKAY) has agreed to serve as the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire's Interim Chancellor following the departure of Chancellor Brian Levin-Stankevich next month.

Levin-Stankevich announced on March 27 that he will leave Wisconsin to become President of Westminster College in Utah. May 1 will be his final day as Chancellor, with UW-Eau Claire Provost and Vice Chancellor Patricia Klein serving as officer-in-charge until Bousquet's appointment begins on July 15.

In addition to serving as Dean of UW-Madison's Division of International Studies and Vice-Provost for Globalization, Bousquet is Director of the International Institute, Special Assistant to the Chancellor for International Engagement, and the Pickard-Bascom Professor of French.

After consulting with leaders of the Board of Regents and members of the UW-Eau Claire campus community, Reilly identified Bousquet as the person to provide effective leadership for UW-Eau Claire while a search is launched for Levin-Stankevich's successor. The full Board of Regents will meet on Friday to approve the terms of Bousquet's interim appointment.

"Gilles' academic credentials and leadership experiences are a very good fit with UW-Eau Claire's core liberal arts mission. Considering the growing interest in UW-Eau Claire's international reach and global involvement, Gilles brings unique expertise, along with proven leadership capabilities," said Reilly. "At a time when people want Wisconsin's public universities to help boost economic growth, Gilles' work on system-wide international economic development strategies shows that he understands the UW's role as an economic engine for the state."

"I welcome the invitation from President Reilly to lead one of Wisconsin's finest public universities through this transition period. UW-Eau Claire has a reputation as a high-quality institution with a strong commitment to liberal arts and professional education," said Bousquet. "I look forward to working with, supporting, and learning from the entire campus community, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends of the University. Only by working together can we keep advancing the institution's strategic initiatives and sustain its reputation for excellence."

"Gilles is an experienced leader, a talented scholar and has taken a strong role in ensuring that UW-Madison is engaged globally," says UW-Madison Provost Paul M. DeLuca Jr. "I am confident that he will provide UW-Eau Claire with steady leadership at this critical time."

Reilly previously appointed Bousquet as co-chair of the UW System Task Force on Internationalization and Economic Development in 2009 to develop strategies to strengthen foreign investment opportunities across Wisconsin. As UW-Madison's senior international officer since 2002, Bousquet is responsible for coordinating the university's internationalization strategy. Born in Algeria and raised in France, Bousquet received his doctorate from the Université de Provence, Aix-Marseille I, France, in 1983. He came to UW-Madison as an exchange lecturer in the Department of French and Italian in 1982 and officially joined the faculty in 1986.

Reilly will work with the Board of Regents and the UW-Eau Claire campus community to begin a national search for the university's next chancellor, aiming to have a permanent appointment made before summer of 2013. That process will commence when Reilly appoints a search and screen committee comprised of UW-Eau Claire faculty, academic staff, classified staff, students, and community representatives. That committee will lead the search and recommend a slate of finalists for consideration by Reilly and a special committee of Regents.

UW-Eau Claire enrolls more than 11,000 students in more than 80 degree programs. UW-Eau Claire is among U.S. News & World Report's top five public regional universities in the Midwest for 2012; is named a 2012 Best Midwestern College by The Princeton Review; and is designated a 2012 Military Friendly School by G.I. Jobs magazine. Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine included UW-Eau Claire among its 100 best values in public colleges for 2012.


Source: University of Wisconsin System