Education

Item Description

(Dr. Luis M. Proenza is donating one hour of his time to the winning bidder)

Dr. Luis M. Proenza became the 15th President of The University of Akron on January 1, 1999. As chief executive officer of the public research university for Northern Ohio, Dr. Proenza provides overall leadership to more than 4,500 faculty and staff and oversees an annual budget of $300 million serving more than 25,000 students in 350 academic programs, including a consortium medical school and three branch campuses.

Under Dr. Proenza's leadership, the University has undertaken several major initiatives, including a $300 million "New Landscape for Learning" campus enhancement program with 9 new buildings and major additions or the renovation of 14 other facilities, a University Park Alliance project supported by the Knight Foundation to revitalize a 40-block neighborhood and commercial area immediately surrounding the campus, and information technology (IT) investments that have established the University as a national leader in IT and made it the most "wired for wireless" university in Ohio.

Dr. Proenza has brought private donations to an all-time record and garnered the two largest gifts ever made to the University. He also has expanded the University's outreach with the creation of two new regional branch campuses, and he has spearheaded an innovative enrollment management program that has generated significant increases in new and transfer students. Dr. Proenza's marketing initiatives earned him the 2001 Executive of the Year Award by the Sales and Marketing Executives Association of Akron. His leadership also earned him recognition by Crain's Cleveland Business, which named him to its Power Pack-the list of the 50 most influential people in Northeast Ohio. Inside Business listed him among "The Power 100." He was honored by the Newcomen Society in October 2003.

In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Dr. Proenza to serve on the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), the nation's highest-level policy advisory group for science and technology. The 24-member group advises the president and assists the Office of Science and Technology Policy and the National Science and Technology Council in securing private-sector involvement in their activities. Dr. Proenza serves on PCAST panels on U.S. Research and Development Investments, Technology Transfer, Energy Efficiency, Advanced Manufacturing, and Nanotechnology. Dr. Proenza also is a member of The Council on Competitiveness and The Council on Foreign Relations. He was appointed by Governor Bob Taft to Ohio's Third Frontier Advisory Board. He chairs the Ohio Aerospace Council and the Ohio Supercomputer Center. He also sits on the board of the States Science and Technology Institute. He previously served on the NAS-NRC Committee on Vision, the National Biotechnology Policy Board, the U.S. Arctic Research Commission (appointed by former President George H.W. Bush), and as Advisor for Science and Technology Policy to Alaska Governor Walter J. Hickel.

Before coming to The University of Akron, Dr. Proenza was Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School at Purdue University. He previously served as Vice President for Academic Affairs and Research and as Vice Chancellor for Research and Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Alaska.

Dr. Proenza holds a bachelor's degree from Emory University (1965), a master's degree from The Ohio State University (1966) and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota (1971).

He joined the faculty of the University of Georgia in 1971, where his research was continuously supported by grants from the National Eye Institute, including a Research Career Development Award, and where he also served as Assistant to the President and University Liaison for Science and Technology Policy.

In Ohio, he serves on the Inter-University Council, Northeast Ohio Council on Higher Education, Executive Council of the Northeast Ohio Technology Coalition (NorTech) and the Executive Committee of the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce. He also serves on the Boards of Cleveland Tomorrow; the Akron Roundtable, of which he currently serves as president; Akron Tomorrow; Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine and Northeast Educational Television of Ohio Inc.

Dr. Proenza is a member of many professional, scholarly and honorary organizations; is the recipient of several awards and honors; and has written numerous publications in nationally and internationally recognized journals. In addition, he edited and co-edited two books. He is invited frequently to speak throughout the country and abroad, and his presentations have appeared in Vital Speeches of the Day and The Executive Speaker. He often is quoted on issues affecting higher education, research and economic development.

Dr. Proenza and his wife, Theresa Butler Proenza, enjoy their careers, friends and numerous community activities. Together, they built the 44-foot sailing vessel, Apogee, which they sail on Lake Erie.

Item Special Note

(Dr. Luis M. Proenza is donating one hour of his time to the winning bidder)

We accept Mastercard and Visa(not American Express) payments and cash payments. All money is due by Friday, July 16.

The executives will meet with the winning bidders at a time convenient to both parties, on or before December 1, 2004.