With the nomination of Amy Gutmann as the next University president, the words "Princeton" and "provost" have been uttered together repeatedly across campus.
But "Penn" and "provost" fit together just as well. As the University's chief academic officer with close proximity to the president, Provost Robert Barchi was likely considered during the recent presidential search process.
The office of the Provost has actually existed far longer than the presidency -- provosts have served at Penn since 1754, while the presidency was not established until 1930.
In his capacity as provost, Barchi oversees everything from faculty appointments to budgets, providing a wealth of experience that his colleagues say prepares him to lead any university.
"I see the provost as the natural position for someone pursuing the [University] presidency," Graduate School of Education Dean Susan Fuhrman said. "You get to see all aspects of the University, from the budget to the capital planning to the academic life of the University."
"I think he'd be a terrific president," Fuhrman added.
However, Barchi has said that he intends to stay on as provost -- and that he does not desire to go anywhere else. "I think I have the best job at Penn," Barchi said. "It's a job that I find tremendously rewarding and one that I hope that I will continue to be able to carry out for a new president."
Yet Alan Kelly, dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine, said he "would be surprised if [Barchi] didn't" pursue a university presidency.
"He's well qualified," Kelly said. "He has an enormous amount of experience. He's well equipped to be the leader of a major university."
"By that I'm not encouraging him to leave," Kelly said.
Barchi has served as Penn's provost since 1999. He has strong ties to Penn, having completed both his Ph.D. and his M.D. at the University. Barchi has served as a professor at Penn since 1973.
Eduardo Glandt, dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, said that serving as provost provides Barchi with "the knowledge of how the University operates."
"It's a complex world with a million constituencies," Glandt added.
Despite his qualifications, Barchi may never serve in the president's office at Penn, according to Undergraduate Political Science Chairman Henry Teune.
"Penn is not inclined to hire someone to run a university from the medical sector," Teune said. "That would send a message out that this is primarily a medical school."
Barchi, a medical doctor, has been appointed to many medicine-related positions in his past, including the director of the Mahoney Institute of Neurological Sciences for over 12 years. He also founded Penn's Department of Neuroscience.
As provost, Barchi is "responsible for all of the academic programs in the University, so it's a major education" on University leadership, Kelly said.
"He's a man of tremendous integrity," Glandt said. "I know that he views the role of the provost as being the keeper of the quality of the students and the keeper of the quality of the faculty, and he's been true to that mission."
Barchi agrees that the job of provost is a demanding one. Barchi explained that the reason he loves his job is because of the interaction he has across the University.
"The provost job at Penn gives you very direct, hands-on interaction" with the faculty, students, academic programs and the University operations, Barchi said. His responsibilities are "all things that I find tremendously rewarding and stimulating. That's really what I like to do."
