Boise State President Bob Kustra has announced that Tony Roark will serve as interim provost and vice president for academic affairs at Boise State, beginning June 1, 2018.
Roark will work alongside Provost Martin Schimpf until Schimpf returns to a faculty position on June 30, and then will continue in the provost role. Both Kustra and Schimpf recently announced plans to step down from their current roles at the end of this academic year. The Idaho State Board of Education will lead the search for a new president.
“In addition to carrying the typical duties of the provost, Tony will provide support during this time of transition. His success in leading our largest college and his extensive institutional knowledge will be invaluable as a new president takes the helm at Boise State,” said Kustra.
Roark was named the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 2012 following a national search. He grew up on a farm in the Treasure Valley, graduating from Meridian High School in 1986. He studied English and Philosophy at the University of Idaho and went on to receive his Ph.D. in philosophy at the University of Washington in 1999.
After a year in a visiting position at Ohio State University, he returned to Idaho in 2000 and joined Boise State as adjunct faculty in philosophy. He was hired into a tenure-stream faculty position in 2001 through a national search, tenured in 2006, took on the chair position in 2007, hired by Schimpf as associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences in 2009, and then named acting dean in 2010.
His research interests include Ancient Greek Philosophy, Aristotle in particular. His work has appeared in journals such as Mind, Ancient Philosophy, Apeiron, and History and Philosophy of Logic. His book “Aristotle on Time: A Study of the Physics” was published by Cambridge University Press in 2011.
Roark is involved in many organizations and activities, both on-campus and off, including a four-term, 16-year appointment to the Boise City Ethics Commission.
BY: SHERRY SQUIRES PUBLISHED 3:06 PM / DECEMBER 4, 2017