HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- Robert Altenkirch is the University of Alabama in Huntsville presidential candidate UA System Chancellor Malcolm Portera will recommend to be hired by the UA System board of trustees.

Portera made the announcement at a late afternoon news conference on the UAH campus.

"I think it is as near a perfect fit as could be found, frankly," Portera said.

The board of trustees will convene in a special called meeting Wednesday at UAH. Portera will recommend the board hire Altenkirch, 63, and an affirmative board vote will make Altenkirch official as the next president at UAH.

Altenkirch (pronounced ALL-ten-kirk) is the president of the New Jersey Institution of Technology, located in Newark. Altenkirch said he did not have a specific date set for when he will begin his new job but said he expected it to be "in the fall."

Altenkirch spent today and part of Monday visiting the campus and talking with faculty, staff and students.

Altenkirch said Portera contacted him about the vacancy in Huntsville soon after David Williams stepped down in March to become engineering dean at Ohio State University.

After researching UAH and considering the position, Altenkirch said he decided to pursue the position "in late spring."

"He initially contacted me and asked me if I would be interested," Altenkirch said. "I looked at it for a while and said OK."

Altenkirch and Portera began a professional relationship in 1998 when Portera was president at Mississippi State University and Altenkirch returned to MSU to be vice president of research.

Portera introduced Altenkirch to the media, touting his credentials.

"His area of research is combustion," Portera said. "In fact, the technology that built this town is combustion technology with Marshall Space Flight Center.

"He is an accomplished fundraiser. He has grown his enrollment at NJIT to a record enrollment this year. He has doubled research funding at the institution since he has been there. His track record at fundraising is just outstanding.

"In addition to all that, he has had 10 experiments on the space shuttle in the area of combustion research. he has served his institution well. His institution manages the largest ground-based solar telescope in the world at Big Bear, California."

That experience with the solar telescope could be an advantage to UAH as it is one of two finalists to land the National Solar Observatory, which is seeking to combine its offices in New Mexico and Arizona at one site. A decision by the NSO is expected later this year.

"Those things fit well here at this institution and this community," Portera said in concluding his introduction of Altenkirch.

Read more in Wednesday's Huntsville Times

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