Carnesale Is Confirmed for UCLA Top Post

LOS ANGELS--Officials at Harvard and the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) praised Harvard Provost Albert Carnesale's achievements yesterday as the University of California (U.C.) Board of Regents approved his appointment as chancellor of UCLA.

Carnesale, 60, who has served since 1995 as the University's provost, said he looked forward to new challenges at UCLA.

"I'm honored and excited by the prospect of leading UCLA, one of the nation's great public universities, at a time of particular challenge for higher education," Carnesale said in a statement.

Colleagues said they were sorry to see him leave Harvard.

In a telephone conference with the U.C. Regents and reporters, Carnesale stressed that he aims to make UCLA one of the best universities in the world.

"When there are informed people around the world who list the great universities, and there are not more than two, I want that list to include UCLA," he said.

U.C. President Richard C. Atkinson recommended Carnesale from among four top candidates. The new chancellor, like the eight other chancellors in the U.C. system, will receive a salary of $222,700 and a large on-campus home with a swimming pool and household help.

Currently, Carnesale receives a salary of $252,788 but does not receive housing.

"I'm extremely happy for him," said Harvard President Neil L. Rudenstine, who said Carnesale kept him informed throughout the UCLA chancellor search. "He's a very superb person, a superb academic officer and administrator, and while we've been talking quite extensively about this particular incident, in a way we've known sooner or later something like this would happen."

Carnesale will begin his duties at UCLA, where he will replace outgoing chancellor Charles E. Young, on July 1.

Praise for Carnesale

Harvard officials were unanimous in their acclamation of Carnesale and expressed sadness at his departure.

"It's wonderful for UCLA, terrible for Harvard and a plum for Al Carnesale," said Richard J. Zeckhauser, Ramsey professor of political economy at the Kennedy School of Government and a "good friend" of Carnesale's.

"It's a real loss," said R. Bruce Donoff, dean of the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. "He's been a tremendous addition to the University."

"He has performed admirably and done important things for the ,University," Donoff added. "It's good for UCLA. Their gain is our loss."

Dean of the Graduate School of Education Jerome T. Murphy said the job will draw on Carnesale's talents.

"It will be a wonderful stage for him to do the kind of things he does well, which is run large, complicated organizations," Murphy said.

"I'm very sad for Harvard, but I can't fault UCLA's judgment," Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Jeremy R. Knowles said in a fax.

"I think it's a great loss for Harvard and a great gain for UCLA," said Joseph S. Nye, who succeeded Carnesale in 1996 as dean of the Kennedy School of Government (KSG). "Carnesale is absolutely terrific. He did a great job at the Kennedy School, a fine job as provost, and we'll miss him."

"I was enjoying him at Harvard and thought he was having a major impact," said Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III.

Arms Control to Mass. Hall

Carnesale's Harvard career began in 1974, when he joined the faculty to oversee an arms control research project.

A nuclear engineer by training, the Bronx-born Carnesale's research and teaching focused on issues of nuclear weapons and national security policy.

After serving as Littauer professor of public policy and administration, and as academic dean of KSG from 1981 to 1991, Carnesale became dean in 1991, succeeding Robert D. Putnam, now Dillon professor of international affairs. He was appointed provost in 1995.

"He was a very successful dean at a time when the school needed strong leadership," Murphy said. "I thought he brought stability and direction to the school."

During Carnesale's tenure as provost, the central administration's budget grew at a rate slower than the inflation rate, leading many within the administration to consider him a spending hawk.

He also gained notoriety on campus this year when employee members of the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers. (HUCTW) marched in front of Massachusetts Hall, where Carnesale has his office, to protest benefit cuts for part-time workers. The protesters carried large pictures of Carnesale alongside picket signs.

The University and the union recently resolved the dispute, signing a contract extension that contained concessions to both sides.

As provost, Carnesale has played a major role in implementing Rudenstine's plans for linking previously distant parts of the University.

"He helped to implement Neil's idea of trying to get Harvard together more," Nye said.

To encourage cooperation among professors in different fields, Rudenstine and Carnesale created five "interfaculty initiatives," including programs to study schooling and children and ethics in the professions.

Carnesale also oversaw the new centralization of information technology under the central administration. He organized a University Committee on Information Technology to analyze the rapidly changing effects of information technology on three areas of the University: academics, commercial partnerships and intellectual property.

In the spring of 1995, Carnesale wore three administrative hats when Rudenstine took a temporary medical leave of absence. At the time, he served simultaneously as acting president, Kennedy School dean and provost.

Carnesale cited the value of his experience at Harvard in accepting his new UCLA post yesterday.

"Serving as Harvard's provost, and working with Neil Rudenstine for these past several years, has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career," he said.

University officials characterized Carnesale as a strong leader who alternates between direct management and delegating tasks to subordinates.

Carnesale's management style is "guiding and participatory," according to Donoff.

"He is someone who, for the issues that he needs to deal with, becomes involved with those issues," Donoff said.

Knowles also said Carnesale is "urbane, clear and thoughtful" as a manager.

A Strong Reputation

At UCLA, administrators and students said Carnesale is known as a hard-working scholar whose reputation for high-quality work has preceded him.

"I've heard he's a commanding figure," said UCLA Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Education Judith Smith. "When he speaks, people listen. He's decisive."

Smith applauded Carnesale's goal of catapulting UCLA into the ranks of top universities.

"We need a leader who'll not only talk the top line but who'll deliver," she said. "He certainly has delivered at Harvard."

Chris Tymchuck, the president of the UCLA Graduate Students' Association and a member of the chancellor search committee, said he was pleased with Carnesale's appointment.

"I think that it was a good choice," he said. "I think he'll make a strong chancellor."

UCLA Dean of Humanities Pauline Yu agreed with Smith that improving the university's reputation was a worthy goal for the new chancellor.

"I think if his commitment is to making sure we are a quality institution, than that's great," Yu said. "I hope he has an understanding of the ways quality can be defined. He's going to have a lot to learn when he gets here."

New Challenges

In an interview yesterday, Carnesale said he heard about the UCLA chancellor search several months ago, when a colleague at the U.C. approached him.

He attributed his decision to leave Harvard after 23 years to the excitement and new challenges of the UCLA chancellor's position.

"To be quite honest, when I have advised others on career choices, I have espoused a 'tingle theory,'" Carnesale said. "Does this seem like something where you could make a contribution? Does the idea give you a tingly feeling?"

Specifically, UCLA attracted him because, as a large public institution with a long history of academic excellence, it posed a different challenge than his work at Harvard, Carnesale said.

"UCLA is very different from Harvard," Carnesale said. "It isn't a university that wishes it was Harvard but is not quite as good.

Dean of the Graduate School of Education Jerome T. Murphy said the job will draw on Carnesale's talents.

"It will be a wonderful stage for him to do the kind of things he does well, which is run large, complicated organizations," Murphy said.

"I'm very sad for Harvard, but I can't fault UCLA's judgment," Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences Jeremy R. Knowles said in a fax.

"I think it's a great loss for Harvard and a great gain for UCLA," said Joseph S. Nye, who succeeded Carnesale in 1996 as dean of the Kennedy School of Government (KSG). "Carnesale is absolutely terrific. He did a great job at the Kennedy School, a fine job as provost, and we'll miss him."

"I was enjoying him at Harvard and thought he was having a major impact," said Dean of Students Archie C. Epps III.

Arms Control to Mass. Hall

Carnesale's Harvard career began in 1974, when he joined the faculty to oversee an arms control research project.

A nuclear engineer by training, the Bronx-born Carnesale's research and teaching focused on issues of nuclear weapons and national security policy.

After serving as Littauer professor of public policy and administration, and as academic dean of KSG from 1981 to 1991, Carnesale became dean in 1991, succeeding Robert D. Putnam, now Dillon professor of international affairs. He was appointed provost in 1995.

"He was a very successful dean at a time when the school needed strong leadership," Murphy said. "I thought he brought stability and direction to the school."

During Carnesale's tenure as provost, the central administration's budget grew at a rate slower than the inflation rate, leading many within the administration to consider him a spending hawk.

He also gained notoriety on campus this year when employee members of the Harvard Union of Clerical and Technical Workers. (HUCTW) marched in front of Massachusetts Hall, where Carnesale has his office, to protest benefit cuts for part-time workers. The protesters carried large pictures of Carnesale alongside picket signs.

The University and the union recently resolved the dispute, signing a contract extension that contained concessions to both sides.

As provost, Carnesale has played a major role in implementing Rudenstine's plans for linking previously distant parts of the University.

"He helped to implement Neil's idea of trying to get Harvard together more," Nye said.

To encourage cooperation among professors in different fields, Rudenstine and Carnesale created five "interfaculty initiatives," including programs to study schooling and children and ethics in the professions.

Carnesale also oversaw the new centralization of information technology under the central administration. He organized a University Committee on Information Technology to analyze the rapidly changing effects of information technology on three areas of the University: academics, commercial partnerships and intellectual property.

In the spring of 1995, Carnesale wore three administrative hats when Rudenstine took a temporary medical leave of absence. At the time, he served simultaneously as acting president, Kennedy School dean and provost.

Carnesale cited the value of his experience at Harvard in accepting his new UCLA post yesterday.

"Serving as Harvard's provost, and working with Neil Rudenstine for these past several years, has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career," he said.

University officials characterized Carnesale as a strong leader who alternates between direct management and delegating tasks to subordinates.

Carnesale's management style is "guiding and participatory," according to Donoff.

"He is someone who, for the issues that he needs to deal with, becomes involved with those issues," Donoff said.

Knowles also said Carnesale is "urbane, clear and thoughtful" as a manager.

A Strong Reputation

At UCLA, administrators and students said Carnesale is known as a hard-working scholar whose reputation for high-quality work has preceded him.

"I've heard he's a commanding figure," said UCLA Vice-Provost for Undergraduate Education Judith Smith. "When he speaks, people listen. He's decisive."

Smith applauded Carnesale's goal of catapulting UCLA into the ranks of top universities.

"We need a leader who'll not only talk the top line but who'll deliver," she said. "He certainly has delivered at Harvard."

Chris Tymchuck, the president of the UCLA Graduate Students' Association and a member of the chancellor search committee, said he was pleased with Carnesale's appointment.

"I think that it was a good choice," he said. "I think he'll make a strong chancellor."

UCLA Dean of Humanities Pauline Yu agreed with Smith that improving the university's reputation was a worthy goal for the new chancellor.

"I think if his commitment is to making sure we are a quality institution, than that's great," Yu said. "I hope he has an understanding of the ways quality can be defined. He's going to have a lot to learn when he gets here."

New Challenges

In an interview yesterday, Carnesale said he heard about the UCLA chancellor search several months ago, when a colleague at the U.C. approached him.

He attributed his decision to leave Harvard after 23 years to the excitement and new challenges of the UCLA chancellor's position.

"To be quite honest, when I have advised others on career choices, I have espoused a 'tingle theory,'" Carnesale said. "Does this seem like something where you could make a contribution? Does the idea give you a tingly feeling?"

Specifically, UCLA attracted him because, as a large public institution with a long history of academic excellence, it posed a different challenge than his work at Harvard, Carnesale said.

"UCLA is very different from Harvard," Carnesale said. "It isn't a university that wishes it was Harvard but is not quite as good.