McCarty, Lordan
Appointed To Interim
Posts At Hopkins

McCarty, a double-degree graduate of Johns Hopkins, will take office July 1. He will serve until a dean is appointed to succeed Steven Knapp, who has been dean since 1994 and became provost of the university in January 1996.

"Dick McCarty is someone I have relied on for advice since I came to Johns Hopkins," Knapp said. "I have valued his contributions as chairman of one of the largest departments in the School of Arts and Sciences, on committees of the school and on the search committee for a new dean. I know he will serve the school ably in this new role as interim dean."

McCarty graduated from Johns Hopkins in 1960 and earned his Ph.D. from the university in 1964. He returned to Hopkins as chairman of biology in 1990 after 24 years on the faculty at Cornell University. In awarding him its Charles F. Kettering Award in 1994, the American Society of Plant Physiologists called McCarty a "central figure" in the remarkable advances made in the study of photosynthesis and photosynthetic energy conversion since the 1960s.

McCarty, who said he will not be a candidate for the permanent dean's position, said his decision to accept the interim post involved "a certain amount of payback" to Johns Hopkins.

"My eight years as a student in the '50s and '60s and the last seven years on the faculty have been wonderful," he said. "I see this as a way to make a contribution. As an alumnus and a faculty member, I think I can be an effective spokesman and advocate for the entire school."

Since becoming provost, Knapp has until now continued to serve also as dean of the Krieger School. Arthur F. Davidsen, professor of physics and astronomy, has overseen day-to-day operations of the school for the past six months with the title of interim dean of the faculty.

Knapp said Davidsen had agreed when accepting the interim post to serve in the dean's office through June, in the hope that a permanent dean would be chosen by then. The search committee decided recently, however, to reopen the nominating process, and Davidsen is going on sabbatical July 1. Knapp said he decided now is the time for him to end his dual role as provost and dean and appoint an interim successor as dean.

"I greatly appreciate Arthur Davidsen's service over the past six months," Knapp said. "He interrupted a very productive and distinguished faculty career to pinch hit in the dean's office, and the school is grateful to him.

"John is intimately familiar with the broad range of issues, problems and opportunities facing the university," the president wrote last week in a memorandum to deans, directors and vice presidents. "His guidance and advice on numerous issues affecting our management and financial wellbeing have been a strong source of support not only for Gene Sunshine but for several of my predecessors and trustees as well."

Lordan, who came to Hopkins in 1986, has been responsible for budget, planning finance, procurement, accounting, computing and financial reporting. He serves on the President's Advisory and Policy Council, the Provost's Financial Review Committee and the Information System's Coordinating Council. He also provides staff support to a number of trustee committees.

Lordan, a certified public accountant, is a graduate of Suffolk University, with an MBA from Boston College and an MPA from Harvard University. He also has done doctoral work in economics at George Washington University.

Before coming to Hopkins, Lordan was deputy associate director of the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, heading its Financial Management Division. Previously he served in the U.S. General Accounting Office, the audit and investigative arm of Congress.

Lordan is a member of the management board of the Council on Government Relations, the editorial board of the National Association of University Research Administrators and the financial reporting committee of the Institute of Management Accountants.

He has served previously on the governing bodies of the American Institute of CPAs, the Association of Government Accountants and the National Council on Governmental Accounting and on the advisory councils of the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the Cost Accounting Standards Board.

Lordan said he is looking forward to his new assignment and hopes "to be able to fill in for Gene Sunshine with even one-half his ability and dedication. Gene has been a pleasure to work with, a great teacher, a great leader."

Lordan added that his "top priority will be to complete reforms already begun by President Brody and Gene for the university's construction and maintenance operations, and to promote confidence in our contracting practices and internal control procedures."