Ron Darbeau Named Provost at Lock Haven University
LOCK HAVEN, Pa. — Lock Haven University recently announced the appointment of Dr. Ron Darbeau to Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. He will begin his service in June.
Darbeau, a native of Trinidad and Tobago, is the Dean of the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics and The School of Education, as well as Interim Dean of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Arkansas, Fort Smith (UAFS). He earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry at the University of the West Indies and a master’s and Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins University.
Following almost two decades in the professoriate at McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana – the last 12 of which were as head of the department of chemistry and physics – Darbeau moved to his current position at UAFS in 2015.
“I, along with many throughout our campus community, was impressed by Dr. Darbeau’s credentials, vision and collegiality,” said Dr. Robert Pignatello, LHU President. “He will be a great leader in support of a new era of growth and strength for LHU.”
Darbeau, a physical organic chemist, has published dozens of peer-reviewed articles in his field and presented many times at regional and national conferences. He has graduated 30 master’s students from his research group and secured more than $3 million in funding for research, research-training and infrastructure. A Fellow of the American Chemical Society, he also has held numerous leadership and membership roles in professional organizations and is the recipient of several awards and honors.
Following the conclusion of Dr. Stephen Neun’s tenure as Interim Provost at the end of January, Dr. Jonathan Lindzey, Dean of the College of Natural, Behavioral and Health Sciences at LHU and Director of the Clearfield campus, will serve as Interim Provost until Darbeau’s arrival at The Haven in June. Professor Walt Eisenhauer will serve as Interim Dean of the College of Natural, Behavioral and Health Sciences during this time.
“I am honored to have been asked to serve Lock Haven University as its next Provost,” Darbeau said. “President Pignatello and I are well aligned in our vision for this great university and I look forward eagerly to working with him, the rest of the LHU community and its stakeholders to take advantage of the many opportunities before us — and to collaborate in creating new exciting ones. It is my intent to usher in a period of prosperity as LHU identifies and capitalizes on its niches and further strengthens its relationships with K-12, healthcare, local and regional business and industry and with our peer institutions across PASSHE.
