Law prof will become next deputy provost

Watcher to take office July 1 Law and Economics Professor Michael Wachter has been selected as the University's new deputy provost, Provost Stanley Chodorow said last night. Wachter will take office July 1, presuming the Board of Trustees confirms his appointment. He replaces Physics Professor Walter Wales, who has served as deputy provost for almost three years. Wales announced his intention to step down -- effective Dec. 31, 1994 -- last April. But he agreed not to vacate the position until the deputy provost search committee, headed by History Professor Richard Dunn, completed its work. Dunn said the committee gave Chodorow six potential nominees for the deputy provost's job, all of whom were "really excellent" but in different ways. "I think he's a very good choice," Dunn said, explaining that Wachter's connections to the Law School, Wharton School and School of Arts and Sciences will be invaluable in helping to coordinate the University's long-term plans across school lines. "He's wonderful," Chodorow said, referring to Wachter. "He was a classmate of mine at Cornell, but we didn't know each other very well there. He's terrific, he's a great guy." Chodorow also praised Wachter's "analytic mind" and cognizance of crucial budgetary issues, adding that the bulk of Wachter's time as deputy provost will be spent on academic planning, rather than on personnel issues. However, Chodorow said he plans to create a position in the Provost's Office to handle personnel, policy and faculty members' individual issues, tasks which used to be handled by the University's associate provost. Wales agreed with Chodorow's assessment of his successor. "I think he'll be great," Wales said, adding that he will probably increase his teaching load when he returns to the classroom full-time this fall. Wachter, who has been at the University since 1969, became the director of the University's Institute for Law and Economics in 1984. He has published more than 100 scholarly papers and book chapters, and is a member of the American Law and Economic Association and the Industrial Relations Research Association, among others. Wachter could not be reached for comment yesterday.