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YSU provost candidate speaks of passion for area
YOUNGSTOWN
Cheryl Torsney, senior vice provost at the University of Texas at El Paso, couldn’t help but smile most of the day Friday when she interviewed and spoke at Youngstown State University as the fourth and final candidate for the university’s provost position. A provost is the senior academic administrator at a university.
“I was born and raised in Youngstown,” Torsney said. “My family is in Youngstown. So when I was nominated for the position, I thought I should apply.”
Torsney introduced herself twice Friday at open-forum sessions with faculty, staff, administration, students and community members as part of her interview for the provost position. She focused her speech at the session on her goals for YSU.
Torsney summed up her aspirations in an acronym: PENGUIN. The acronym stood for promoting the university, engaging in stakeholders, networking with regional players for the university, generating research funding for the university and enrollment, understanding students’ needs, innovation in ideas for the school and need for excellence at the university.
She said she really wants YSU’s story to be known.
When asked by a student at the afternoon open-forum session about some recent changes in jobs, she said that one of her more-recent positions was only an interim- provost spot.
“I was presented a one-year position at the State University of New York at New Paltz,” Torsney said. “No one else on that campus had training or experience to step into the provost role. So I took that opportunity to go for just one year.”
She said her current job at the University of Texas at El Paso has been a good fit for her, as she loves the students and the Texas weather.
“I’m not looking for another job — I was only nominated for this position at [YSU],” she said.
Torsney said if hired, she would take the position and stay here because of her love for the area.
“I’d move back and would not be moving,” she said.
Chester Cooper, a YSU biology professor and chairman of the provost search committee, said the committee of 16 people plans to meet early next week to compile survey data from people who attended the open-forum sessions and put together material for YSU President Jim Tressel to make a final decision on whom to hire.
“I would say all the candidates had strengths this week,” said Michael Slaven, a YSU student on the provost search committee. “It would be great to hire all of them, so I think we’ll definitely have some interesting conversations next week.”
Friday’s open-forum session for finalist provost candidates was the last of four that took place throughout the week. Other finalists included David Starrett of Southeast Missouri State University, Graham Glynn of Mercy College in New York and Nathan Ritchey of Edinboro (Pa.) University.