Delaware faculty abuzz over Harker

Visit the University of Delaware's Web site, and you'll find the smiling face of Wharton Dean Patrick Harker displayed above the celebratory headline "Presidential Search Completed."

It seems like buzz about Delaware's next president is commonplace on their campus.

Last Friday, officials announced that Harker will take over at Delaware in July, following the resignation of president David Roselle.

While bidding farewell to Roselle - who has served as president since 1990 - is no easy task, many Delaware officials are eager to welcome Harker to the school. His strong personality - and his career at a business school as prominent as Wharton - make him an ideal choice for the position, they say.

"Everyone is excited about his coming," said Delaware professor Dallas Hoover, who serves as president of the university's Faculty Senate. "There is definitely an upbeat, positive feeling on campus," Delaware College of Arts and Sciences Dean Thomas Apple said.

"I am thrilled that we have attracted Pat Harker as our new president. He is a brilliant, energetic leader, and he is clearly a 'people person,'" Apple wrote in an e-mail.

And being a "people person" certainly helped him land the job.

Strong interpersonal skills, including the ability to "tell a joke" and "chat with my mom," were among the qualities that students and faculty members wanted in their new president, according to a survey done to help the 15-person Presidential Search Committee conduct the search for Roselle's successor.

"From what I've seen, he brings a certain energy and enthusiasm to the school," said Jeff Gillespie, an economics professor at Delaware.

Harker does have big shoes to fill, Delaware professors say. During Roselle's tenure, Delaware's endowment grew from $326 million to $1.2 billion, and the number of graduate students increased by 75 percent.

But officials say Harker's achievements during his six-year career as Wharton's dean made him stand out among the talented candidates. Harker and University of Iowa Provost Michael Hogan were two finalists in the search.

In addition to establishing Wharton West, Wharton's San Francisco-based campus, Harker raised more than $450 million for Wharton over five years.

And this fundraising did not go unnoticed by those at Delaware.

"Raising money is a key role that leaders are expected to perform and be successful with," Hoover said.

The excitement over Harker's appointment is especially apparent at Delaware's Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, where business experts are excited to see someone from their own field in the school's top position.

"To have someone come from what is arguably the top business school in the country - we see it as a real plus," Gillespie said.

Gillespie noted that Harker's experience in other fields, especially engineering, also make him a strong choice for the job. Harker earned a Ph.D. in Electrical Systems Engineering from Penn.

"The University of Delaware is in great shape, but I'm sure President Harker's leadership will transform the university to a powerhouse on the national level," Apple wrote.

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