Blair Lord knows he’s different than Eastern President Lou Hencken.

The presidential hopeful thinks he’s the man for the job.

“The way I might conduct myself would look a bit different,” Lord said when comparing himself to Hencken.

But his presidential plan doesn’t include any dramatic changes for Eastern.

Of the final three presidential candidates, Lord is the only one from Eastern.

Lord said one of his strengths is the fact he knows the university.

This means he can help Eastern “build on its strength and move to even higher levels of accomplishment without delay,” he said.

Lord came to the university as the provost and vice president for academic affairs in 2001, a position he has held ever since.

Lord graduated from the University of California at Davis with a degree in economics, and continued his education there, graduating with a Ph.D. in economics.

His thesis dealt with medical insurance, a topic he would go on to teach at the University of Rhode Island University, where he worked for 25 years.

He took his first administrative step in 1981 when he became chair of the finance and insurance office.

“In higher education, we are about changing students’ lives,” Lord said. “I believe that’s why each of us follows this career. I found that my contributions to this mission were greater and more satisfying in my administrative positions.”

He served as Vice Provost for Academic Affairs at University of Rhode Island from 1991-2001 and continued to teach until he came to Eastern.

His role at Eastern has provided many duties, including being the second-ranking member of the university, ensuring accreditation and managing the departmental budget for academic affairs and membership on the Committee for University Planning and Budget.

Lord works with the deans of colleges and chairs of the departments around the university. The deans meet with him personally, while the chairs meet with him in a Council of Chairs.

Peter Andrews, chair of the computer science and mathematics department, said that Lord maintains a “very clear chain of command.” Andrews speaks to his dean, then his dean speaks to Lord.

Andrews says this arrangement works, and that if he has concerns, he feels they are dealt with appropriately.

Lord’s relationship with the office staff of academic affairs is much more personal.

Karen Johnson, administrative assistant, called Lord a fantastic boss.

“We think very highly of him,” she said.

Lord’s schedule for the day:

7:30 a.m. Breakfast with President Lou Hencken

8:30 a.m. Deans, directors and chairs

9:30 a.m. Faculty open session*

10:30 a.m. Staff open session*

11:30 a.m. President’s direct reports meeting

12:30 p.m. Lunch with the vice presidents

2 p.m. Student open session*

3 p.m. Faculty open session*

4 p.m. Campus and community open session*

5 p.m. Meeting with the search committee

*All open sessions will be held in the 1895 Room in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union. The sessions are open to everyone and are not restricted to the specific groups identified.

Blair Lord, Academic Affairs Vice President, is being interviewed today as a candidate for president. (Jay Grabiec/The Daily Eastern News)

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