I just returned from a meeting with NASA Administrator Shaun O'Keefe, your Chancellor apparent. He was in Huntsville for a meeting concerning Space Shuttle return to flight and then met with a smaller group of community leaders, company executives, and a few old timers like me to in essence say his farewells. This was his first meeting outside Washington, DC since announcing his resignation from NASA. Hre started his comments by noting that he has Louisianna roots and knows football is a way of life in the South. He said he knew there were several Auburns grads present and he knew LSU and Auburn were great programs and good rivals. He laughed and said he knew we spelled things differently and that Auburn said "go tigers" and LSU said "geaux tigahs." That got a big laugh. I talked to him after the meeting and told him I was jawing with you guys earlier and said that with him coming maybe LSU would get an astronaut. I told him someone made a good comeback with a pic of one of the monkeys indicating it was an Auburn grad. We both laughed at that. I think ya'll will really like him. He is a consumate politician, having been Secretary of the Navy before becoming NASA Administrator. I envy you for getting him. :thumb:
I like him, too. But he has no real experience in university administration. So the Vice Chancellors and the bull PhD's will do much Harumphing . . . but I think they will go for him. You never know about the Board of Supervisors, though -- politics in the Banana Republic as usual. We need someone like him to fill Emmert's big shoes. I expect Chancellor Clouseau . . . er, O'Keefe to take office very soon.
Or not. http://www.cnn.com/2004/TECH/space/12/14/okeefe.resign/index.html "O'Keefe moved in 2001 from the Office of Management and Budget to the space agency, which he found beset by low morale and budget problems. With a background in academia, he came to the OMB from Syracuse University."
I'm glad one of the Earp brothers are coming here to Tombstone. He'll cut through the crap and establish some law in this town! Those monkey Aubie's don't stand a chance. Seriously, I wonder if he has gotten any inside information on what Perrilloux is really going to do?
O'Keefe has been a distinguished professor and researcher, but not a university administrator. Usually LSU only considers Chancellor candidates with proven records as university presidents, chancellors, or vice-chancellors. Clearly, his adminstration of NASA and the Navy Department speak for his administrative skills. My point is that there is always academic sniping in a university environment. Dr. Chip Groat, currently Director of the US Geological Survey and a former Dean at LSU and Vice President of the University of Texas-El Paso, suffered some criticism when his name was mentioned for an LSU administrators job a few years ago because some of the lofty Boyd Professors felt he had spent too much time in government and too little in university research. It's always something.
From the looks of things even Perrilloux doesn't know what Perrilloux is going to do. There are a lot of people putting a lot of pressure on a very young kid, lets hope he is able to get his head together and make the right decision.:thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:
I actually heard a radio caller yesterday afternoon wanting to know what kind of recruiting impact O'Keefe will have on LSU ... we really do have our priorities straight in Louisiana! :grin:
:hihi: I heard that too. And it was funny the way the guy was asking it because every other word was "Uhhhh". Otter was confused.
