Abele's service as provost celebrated at gala reception

Lawrence G. Abele’s long, distinguished tenure as The Florida State University’s provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs concluded on Dec. 13. A Dec. 11 campus reception was attended by three former FSU presidents, current Florida A&M University President James Ammons, former Florida Gov. Reuben Askew and a host of others whom were on hand to honor his extraordinary leadership and service.

Abele announced in September that he would step down from the provost position at the end of the fall semester to devote his full attention to the Institute for Academic Leadership, a statewide program for new academic administrators.

A marine biologist, Abele now ranks among the longest-serving provosts and academic vice presidents in the United States. In the State University System of Florida, no one else has served longer in that role.

“In my view, Larry Abele will always be known as one of the most respected and knowledgeable provosts in the country,” said Florida State President Eric J. Barron. “What he accomplished in his 16 years as provost and executive vice president was truly remarkable.

“When I came aboard as president, Larry informed me that it was his intent to devote himself full time to the Institute for Academic Leadership. I asked him to give me as much time as possible as our provost, so that we could have as smooth a leadership transition as possible. There is no doubt that he was instrumental in working to maintain our budgets in the face of state deficits during the last legislative cycle. His advice and knowledge have been invaluable, and I am indebted to him for the extra year of service as provost that he has provided.”

The university is in the process of conducting a national search for its next provost. Meanwhile, Vice President for Planning and Programs Robert B. Bradley is serving as the interim provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs.

The provost is the senior academic administrator at FSU, a position of singular importance. As the second-ranking officer at the university, who acts for the president, Abele held the position under three presidents: Talbot “Sandy” D’Alemberte, Thomas Kent “T.K.” Wetherell and Barron.

Early in the last decade, Abele worked tirelessly and with considerable foresight to successfully insulate the university from potentially disastrous budget reductions that were experienced by most institutions in the state. He dedicated himself to improving the recruitment, advising and retention of students; tracking and improving the satisfaction of students; improving teaching quality and quantity; and growing the research contracts and grants that faculty receive.

“There is no academic measure that didn’t improve substantially during Dr. Abele’s term as provost,” said Vice President for Research Kirby Kemper. “The publication rate for faculty has doubled, for example. Meanwhile, retention and graduate rates for students are at the highest levels we’ve ever had. By virtually any measure, Florida State is a stronger academic institution thanks to the many contributions of Larry Abele.”

"Florida State University is a remarkably different and profoundly better university as a result of the dedicated service of Larry Abele,” said Sally McRorie, dean of the College of Visual Arts, Theatre & Dance. “During his tenure as provost, every important marker of success by students, faculty, and the institution itself has improved dramatically. Larry Abele deserves the deepest gratitude from everyone who loves Florida State University.”

Abele was responsible for all operations of the university involving instruction, research, academic quality and external programs. The deans of Florida State’s 15 colleges reported to him.

He was appointed as provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs on Nov. 8, 1994, after having served as interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs from July 11, 1994. While provost, he was also serving as director of the Institute for Academic Leadership –– on which he’ll now focus his attention. From 1991 to 1994, Abele served as dean of Florida State’s College of Arts and Sciences. Prior to serving as dean he was chairman of the Department of Biological Science for an eight-year period (1983-91).

Abele received his associate degree from Miami-Dade College; his bachelor’s (1968) and master’s (1970) degrees in biology from Florida State; and his doctorate in biological oceanography from the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science of the University of Miami (1972). He was a postdoctoral fellow in 1973 with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in the Republic of Panama.

In addition to being recognized as an outstanding teacher, he has received more than $1.25 million in research funding. His primary research interests include the biology of crustaceans (crabs and shrimps), and since 1987 he has been working on molecular evolution of this group. He has published more than 75 scientific articles and, with one of his students, has twice received the Outstanding Paper Award from The Crustacean Society. He has conducted field research in Central America, West Indies, Australia, Bermuda, Ascension Island, and Mexico.

Abele served as chair of the Council of Academic Affairs for the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC), the national group representing chief academic officers of public institutions, in 1999-2000. While serving on this council, he played an important role in the development of the Voluntary System of Accountability, which is designed to identify and assess effective practices in higher education and to present accessible, understandable information to the public. He has served on the NASULGC Executive Board and been a frequent counselor to state and congressional legislators and committees. In 2009, he received the highest national award in support of academic advising, the Pacesetter Award.

His efforts haven’t been limited to campus. Abele has long been an active scientist. He only recently gave up his laboratory and surrendered his long-time scholarly lines of inquiry. Over the years, he has offered services to numerous groups. He has chaired the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute Board of Visitors and served on its Professional Accomplishments and Evaluation Committee. He served on several advisory committees for the National Science Foundation and other governmental agencies. He was associate editor of Paleobiology and the Journal of Crustacean Biology, as well as president of The Crustacean Society. He was recognized as Distinguished Alumnus in the 2003 Hall of Fame at Miami-Dade Community College. In 1988, he was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has also been recognized by the Florida State Alumni Association with its Circle of Gold award for his vision and energy in support of higher education and the university.