Bob Steele named new director of Prindle Institute
Steele will take over director duties January 1; Bottoms will move into senior fellow role until June 30
By: Matt Welch
Issue date: 11/24/09 Section: News
Last spring, Bob Steele and his wife, Carol, had a "wonderful" time debating ethics over brunch with Janet Prindle. The professor, the associate dean and the ethics institute's namesake casually traded notes on journalistic and business ethics.
"I had no idea at the time where this process might lead in terms of my taking on a formal leadership role at the institute," Steele said. "But it was a treat to meet her as I did."
Steele, currently the Pulliam Distinguished Visiting Professor of Journalism, will take over as director of the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics Jan. 1. He replaces Robert Bottoms, who was the institute's inaugural director and just took a position as interim dean and president of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill.
"I was intrigued by the birth of the institute and what I saw as some early successes," Steele said. "My first goal is to do a lot of listening."
The two-year-old institute, located in the university's Nature Park, was Bottoms' brainchild, sprouting from an idea into a full-blown institute that was dedicated Oct. 27, 2007. Bottoms, DePauw's president emeritus, became director when he retired from the presidency in 2008, and he has overseen a number of conferences and symposia at the institute.
Steele said he had spoken several weeks ago with President Brian Casey about taking on the role next summer, but Bottoms' new position "escalated the time table." Steele said he hopes to
listen to students, faculty and staff ideas regarding the institute. He also hopes to connect Prindle to alumni and outside professionals.
"I'm what I describe as a pragmatic idealist," Steele said. "Let's set our goals high, let's aspire to do really well and let's also be pragmatic knowing that we can only accomplish so much with each step."
Casey said the university had planned to do a national search beginning in October to fill the position, but the need to define the institute's mission further hampered the search.
"I had no idea at the time where this process might lead in terms of my taking on a formal leadership role at the institute," Steele said. "But it was a treat to meet her as I did."
Steele, currently the Pulliam Distinguished Visiting Professor of Journalism, will take over as director of the Janet Prindle Institute for Ethics Jan. 1. He replaces Robert Bottoms, who was the institute's inaugural director and just took a position as interim dean and president of Seabury-Western Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill.
"I was intrigued by the birth of the institute and what I saw as some early successes," Steele said. "My first goal is to do a lot of listening."
The two-year-old institute, located in the university's Nature Park, was Bottoms' brainchild, sprouting from an idea into a full-blown institute that was dedicated Oct. 27, 2007. Bottoms, DePauw's president emeritus, became director when he retired from the presidency in 2008, and he has overseen a number of conferences and symposia at the institute.
Steele said he had spoken several weeks ago with President Brian Casey about taking on the role next summer, but Bottoms' new position "escalated the time table." Steele said he hopes to
listen to students, faculty and staff ideas regarding the institute. He also hopes to connect Prindle to alumni and outside professionals.
"I'm what I describe as a pragmatic idealist," Steele said. "Let's set our goals high, let's aspire to do really well and let's also be pragmatic knowing that we can only accomplish so much with each step."
Casey said the university had planned to do a national search beginning in October to fill the position, but the need to define the institute's mission further hampered the search.
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