Just a few weeks ago, ASU's new provost drove 2,500 miles from Albany, N.Y., with only her dog as company. And she hasn't stopped since; she's been so busy she hasn't even had time to replace her New York license plate.
Elizabeth "Betty" Capaldi was named University provost and executive vice president of ASU in May, succeeding Milton Glick.
Glick left ASU to become the President of the University of Nevada, Reno.
"[I'm here] to make sure the faculty and students succeed," Capaldi said of her new role.
Formerly the vice chancellor and chief of staff for the State University of New York system, Capaldi was the first choice for the job, said ASU President Michael Crow.
"She has a great academic record and is a natural leader," Crow said in an e-mail. "Her experience complements mine in many ways, and I believe that we make a great team.
"She will be a great asset to ASU."
Capaldi said she was attracted to ASU because of the current growth and expansion, namely the opening of the Downtown campus.
"I think everyone in the country knows what's going on at ASU," Capaldi said. "It's very much the envy of many places in the United States. Many places are shrinking [and] are flat in terms of growth, and it's much more exciting to be in a place that's booming like this one."
In New York, Capaldi worked to manage communications among 64 campuses. Prior to that she was provost at the University of Buffalo and University of Florida.
Capaldi was credited with expanding research and improving total enrollment at SUNY, said Tom Egan, SUNY board of trustees chairman.
"[She was a] very good team player," Egan said of Capaldi. "[She] never let ego get in her way."
Egan said Capaldi understood the modern public university and would make an impact at ASU, though they would be sad to see her leave.
"It was a loss for us for her to go to ASU," Egan said.
Capaldi said she has been on a "whirlwind tour" ever since she arrived and hopes to meet with students early and often.
"I think it's interesting to hear what [students] have to say, because it teaches you how to make the place work better for them," Capaldi said. "I'll also just walk around.
"You might get to see me just hanging out in the [Memorial] Union."
Capaldi said her first order of business is to improve student retention and graduation rates.
The University wants to make it easier for students to control their own curriculum and choose majors their freshman year, which, she believes, could help with her goal.
"We want students to explore quickly, find out whether a major suits them and if not, be able to change easily," Capaldi said.
In her previous positions, Capaldi has focused on increasing the student population, Egan said.
At SUNY, Capaldi entered with enrollment under 400,000 and left with it at approximately 420,000 three years later, Egan said.
From 1996 to 1999, she helped boost enrollment at the University of Florida from 31,000 to 48,000, Capaldi said.
Because of her previous experiences, she said she was not intimidated by the size of ASU.
"What I enjoy is doing something exactly like that - helping students find their niche in a place that's very complex and large," Capaldi said.
Capaldi holds a doctorate in experimental psychology, which she pursued as an undergraduate after being introduced to the subject on a whim, she said.
"I happened to take psychology only because my roommate took it and liked it," Capaldi said. "If I didn't have that roommate, I would've never found out about psychology."
Using this example, Capaldi emphasized her desire to expand students' understanding of what each of the ASU campuses have to offer.
She said she feels some students do not have the understanding they should.
"I would rather have it be we make clear to you what majors we have that might fit you," Capaldi said. "My father used to use the word 'academic' to mean useless and irrelevant.
"ASU is trying not to be that kind of 'academic.'"
Reach the reporter at: matthew.g.stone@asu.edu.
