Alutto does double duty as president

Alutto has served as interim provost since April. Trustees announced their decision to appoint Alutto as interim president two weeks ago, and he began July 1.

The appointment of an interim president occurred twice in OSU's history.

John Richard Sisson was interim president from December 1997 to June 1998, and Edward Harrington Jennings was interim president from July 2002 to September 2002, according to OSU's Web site.

Past interim presidents lasted no longer than three to seven months. Alutto could not comment on the length of time he expects or is expected to keep office, but said he is very excited about keeping the momentum of the university on track for the duration of his time in office.

"I'm here to provide leadership for an institution," Alutto said. "My main objective is to keep the momentum going with focus on our academic plan as one of the best in the world."

He said it is possible to handle both positions for a short period of time, but there might be a decision to split the responsibilities.

Alutto, who was serving on the presidential search committee, stepped down from the committee when asked to take position of interim president.

"It all happened very rapidly," Alutto said. "Things are going very smoothly. Both the staff at the presidents office and academic affairs here are great."

Alutto, who came to OSU in 1991 as dean of the Max M. Fisher College of Business, also said that while in office he will try to further convey the fact that knowledge knows no barriers of geographic boundaries.

He added that OSU is a world-class institution, and the university has outstanding programs inside and outside the country. He said he stands by the fact that placing students overseas has great impact on their lives.

"We have the advantage of a spectacular student body to be competitive across the world," Alutto said. "We have the foundation to focus on being a world player."

Alutto said his past experiences give him an edge at handling both positions.

"I have a sense of what this institution can be like and I can appreciate the value that's been put into this university." he said.

Alutto said one of the greatest accomplishments is to hear OSU alumni say they had their best memories on campus.

"It is my job for this to continue on," he said.

Anthony Geraci can be reached at geraci.9@osu.edu.