Robert A. Wharton
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
rwharton@isu.edu
(208) 282-2362
Dr. Robert A. Wharton is the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Idaho State University. Wharton works closely with ISU’s president and University leadership, and the State Board of Education to advance campus initiatives that lead to student success and to faculty and staff excellence in pursuing ISU’s mission. Prior to his appointment as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Wharton served as the Chief Research Officer at ISU and led the University’s efforts to foster, support, and expand its research enterprise.
Prior to joining ISU, Dr. Wharton was a member of the Federal Government’s Senior Executive Service and served as the Executive Officer for the National Science Foundation’s Office of Polar Programs where he helped oversee a $340 million budget and a 52-person management staff. Dr. Wharton has been Executive Vice President for the Institute of Management Studies in Reno, Nevada, and a Vice President for Research and Research Professor at the Desert Research Institute, also in Nevada. Robert has also been a Visiting Senior Scientist at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory based at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC.
Dr. Wharton received his B.A. and M.A. from Humboldt State University and his Ph.D. from Virginia Tech. Wharton attended the Stanford Executive Program at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business and the Institute for Education Management at Harvard University. He has over 70 peer-reviewed publications and is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, The Explorers Club, and the Royal Geographical Society. Wharton is a recipient of the United States Antarctic Service Medal and has served on the National Research Council’s Polar Research Board. Wharton is a recipient of the University and Community College System of Nevada’s Outstanding Faculty Award and was recently awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award by the Community College League of California. He is a recipient of the Eagle of Merit Award for Career Excellence and the National Distinguished Eagle Scout Award for having gained eminence in his scientific career and for sharing his talents with his community on a voluntary basis. He has been actively involved in a number of community outreach and volunteer activities, including serving as the President of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation’s Northern Nevada Chapter and Vice President of the Boy Scouts of America’s Nevada Area Council.