KU News Release

KU names Texas dean, internationalist to chief academic post for Lawrence campus

Richard Lariviere

Chancellor Hemenway, left; Lariviere's wife Janis, center; Richard Lariviere

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Excerpts from the news conference with Richard Lariviere.

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LAWRENCE — University of Kansas Chancellor Robert Hemenway today named a University of Texas dean with a distinguished career as a scholar and internationalist as the next provost and executive vice chancellor for the KU Lawrence campus.

Richard Lariviere (pronounced La-riv-yair), dean of the College of Liberal Arts at the University of Texas in Austin, will succeed David Shulenburger as the Lawrence campus chief academic and operating officer on June 1. Shulenburger is stepping down after 13 years in the position to become vice president for academic affairs at the Washington, D.C.-based National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges.

“Richard Lariviere distinguished himself from a national field of exceptional candidates,” said Hemenway. “He is a superb scholar and a seasoned administrator with extraordinary international experience who will set a high bar for the University of Kansas.”

Search committee member and 10th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals Chief Judge Deanell Tacha also praised Lariviere.

“Dr. Lariviere will bring to this campus great vision and insights about public education,” Tacha said. “He follows a gifted administrator in Dave Shulenburger and, I am confident, will continue KU’s tradition of high quality leadership. I am particularly pleased that he has accepted the opportunity to fill this important position at a time when the role of the University of Kansas is so critical to this state and region.”

Lariviere, 56, leaves an impressive record at Texas, where he heads the nation’s largest college of liberal arts, with more than 14,000 students, 600 faculty and 40 departments and centers. During his five-year tenure, the college’s rate of external research funding doubled, a $120 million capital campaign was completed and more than 230 faculty hired — including record numbers of African-American faculty.

“The University of Kansas is a very strong institution with rich traditions and a record of excellence that makes it an enviable place to be,” said Lariviere. “My wife and I were quickly captivated by the friendly and congenial atmosphere that Chancellor Hemenway and his colleagues have created. Replacing Dave Shulenburger is a daunting challenge, but I am anxious to carry on the good work that he has under way.”

A scholar of Sanskrit and Hindu law, Lariviere speaks French and Hindi in addition to his native English and reads in several other languages. He has written dozens of articles and several books on Indian legal history. The Italian CESMEO Institute selected his book on Indian legal procedures as the best book of the year on South Asia.

Lariviere’s professional service also reflects strong international ties. He has served on the board of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers since 1991 and as chair from 1998 to 2004; on the board of directors for the Hong Kong American Center; and as a U.S. Delegate to the Union Academique Internationale since 1995 and as a board member since 2004.

At Texas, where Lariviere also is Jacob and Frances Sanger Mossiker chair in the humanities and a fellow in the IC2 Institute, a research center, he has twice received the Eyes of Texas Award for outstanding contribution to student life.

In addition to his academic work, Lariviere has extensive business experience, largely spawned by frequent travel and research in India. From 1995 to 2003, he served on the board of HPS, an IT services company joint venture between the HCL Corporation and Perot Systems Corporation. He also has consulted for MetLife, Cisco Systems, Sabre Holdings, Telular Corporation and other companies.

Born in Chicago and raised in Marshalltown, Iowa, Lariviere earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Iowa and received his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania. He joined the Texas faculty in 1982. A professor of Sanskrit and the Ralph B. Thomas Regents professor in Asian studies for a decade, he was director of Asian studies and associate vice president for international programs before being named dean in 1999.

Lariviere and his wife, Janis, have a daughter, Anne Elizabeth, who is a senior at Barnard College in New York. Janis Lariviere, a science educator at the University of Texas College of Natural Sciences, will join the KU Center for Science Education.

The University of Kansas is a major teaching and research center with almost 30,000 students, 2,500 faculty members, 7,000 staff and 14 major academic divisions. The provost and executive vice chancellor oversees all academic, research and public service activities on the main campus in Lawrence and the units that support them.

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The University of Kansas is a major comprehensive research and teaching university. University Relations is the central public relations office for KU's Lawrence campus.