Biography

Dr. Ralph Faudree, Provost
The University of Memphis

Ralph Faudree was appointed Provost of The University of Memphis by the Tennessee Board of Regents on July 2, 2001. A dedicated academician, Dr. Faudree accepted the position because he is committed to insuring that the University continues to grow and prosper. Toward that end, he intends to concentrate on enhancements to the teaching, research and community outreach programs that the University has developed. He is also committed to pursuing opportunities as they arise, insuring that the University is responsive to the needs of the student body and the community it serves. Preceding his appointment as Provost, Dr. Faudree served as the University’s Interim President. Prior to that, he was the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. While Dean, he continued to teach, conduct research programs, direct graduate students and participate in professional meetings. His primary focus, however, was on the teaching, research and service mission of the College.

Throughout his administrative career, Dr. Faudree has focused his efforts on:

• aggressive recruitment and retention of high-quality faculty;
• introduction of interdisciplinary programs;
• development and implementation of rigorous research standards;
• development of a comprehensive and demanding tenure and promotion methodology;
• administration of a meaningful chair and faculty evaluation process.

He also fostered a number of special initiatives including establishment of the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy, the Department of Earth Sciences , the Interdisciplinary Studies Center (consisting of Women's Studies, the Center for Research on Women, African/African-American Studies, and International Studies), the Undergraduate Student Services Center, and the Benjamin Hooks Institute.

Dr. Faudree was trained at Purdue University, receiving a Ph.D. and a Master's Degree in Mathematics in 1964 and 1963 respectively. Before coming to the University of Memphis, Dr. Faudree taught at the University of California, Berkeley and at the University of Illinois. He arrived at The University of Memphis in 1971 and served as the Department's Graduate Coordinator before becoming its chair in 1983. He was a co-recipient of the University Distinguished Research Award in 1978; the Superior Performance in Research Award in 1986, 1988-90 and 1992-93; the College of Arts and Science Meritorious Faculty Award in 1991 and the Board of Visitors' Eminent Faculty Award in 1994.

Throughout his academic career, Dr. Faudree has maintained an active research schedule in the areas of graphical Ramsey theory and Hamiltonian theory of graphs. As a part of his research effort, Dr. Faudree has served as a Visiting Professor at the Netherlands' University of Twente, the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, the University of Paris, the University of Singapore and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest. It is at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences that Dr. Faudree cemented his relationship with Paul Erdós, one of the 20th century's most prolific and respected mathematicians. Their collaboration led to more than 45 articles in graph theory. Since Dr. Erdós's death, Dr. Faudree has continued the work they began together, collaborating with mathematicians in both Hungary and the United States. He has also helped to perpetuate Dr. Erdós's work by co-sponsoring the Erdós lecture series at the University of Memphis.