UW-Madison Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Peter Spear announced Monday that he will be the latest high-ranking UW-Madison official to call it a career.
Spear, who will retire in December, said the time has come for him to begin giving some consideration to life after a career in academia.
\I'm 60 years old,"" Spear said, ""and I think when people get [to be] that age they start thinking even more seriously about their future.""
Spear said he considered vying for a position as a university chancellor or president, positions that in his opinion require a five-year commitment, but ultimately decided it was time to retire.
""I wanted to retire while I'm still young and healthy enough to enjoy myself,"" he said.
Spear has been UW-Madison Provost since 2001, when he returned to the university after five years at the University of Colorado, according to a university release. Prior to his time at Colorado, Spear had been at UW-Madison since 1976.
Gary Sandefur, UW-Madison dean of the College of Letters & Sciences, said Spear will be missed tremendously by the university. Sandefur pointed to Spear's work in helping develop the UW-Madison campus's Master Plan as a shining example of the many contributions Spear has made to the university.
""He will have made a significant impact on what the campus looks like well into the future through his leadership of that group,"" Sandefur said.
Spear said he and his wife plan to relocate to Tucson, Ariz., as well as to another home in the Colorado mountains.
""This is a position where you have an opportunity to help improve an institution that impacts the lives of thousands of students and faculty and staff,"" Spear said, reflecting on his career. ""It's been a real privilege to be able to do that, and I'll miss it.""
