Athens, Ga. – Hugh Ruppersburg, a long-serving administrator at the University of Georgia, has been named interim vice provost for academic affairs.
Ruppersburg served as interim dean of the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences from 2011 to 2012 and has served as its senior associate dean since 2005. Earlier this year, he was named University Professor, an honor bestowed selectively on UGA faculty who have had a significant impact on the university in addition to fulfilling their normal academic responsibilities.
His appointment as interim vice provost, which is effective Aug. 1, was announced by interim senior vice president for academic affairs and provost Libby V. Morris.
“Dr. Ruppersburg has repeatedly demonstrated his deep commitment to the University of Georgia by serving with distinction in a variety of administrative roles,” Morris said. “He brings a wealth of experience to the Provost’s Office, and I look forward to working with him during this transition period.”
The vice provost works closely with the associate provosts for the Honors Program, Institutional Diversity, International Education and the Libraries. The directors of the Office of Faculty Affairs, Institute of Higher Education and Skidaway Institute of Oceanography report to the vice provost, who also works closely with the UGA Arts Council.
The position of vice provost previously was held by Morris, who is serving as interim provost while a national search is being conducted for the university’s next permanent provost.
Ruppersburg’s extensive record of service to the university includes leadership roles with University Council, including a year as chair of the Executive Committee, and service on several program review committees as well as task forces and advisory committees on graduate education, distance education and other campus-wide issues. He also organized and directed the Franklin College first-year seminar program, a forerunner of the university’s First-Year Odyssey program. In addition, Ruppersburg has remained active as both as a teacher and scholar whose work has focused on the literature of Georgia and the American South.
He joined the English department at UGA in 1977 and was named full professor in 1990. He led the English department from 1992 to 1995 and served as associate dean of the Franklin College before being named senior associate dean in 2005.
Ruppersburg earned his doctorate and master’s degree in American literature from the University of South Carolina and earned his bachelor’s degree in English from UGA.
