"I am honored to have this opportunity," Ceplikas, who has worked at the College for 30 years, said in an interview. "It is a challenging time with the difficult economic situation, but we have an outstanding staff and some terrific facilities, and I am confident we will continue to make progress."
The College will conduct an external review of the athletics department before the national search begins, Dean of the College Tom Crady said in an interview with The Dartmouth. The review, which will likely last two to three days, is fairly common, according to Crady. Crady said he did not know when the review will start.
Crady said he believes the athletics department will be in "good hands."
"[Ceplikas] is very steadying," Crady said. "We feel very good about his presence for the upcoming year."
When asked whether he wanted to stay on as athletic director after the one-year interim period expires, Ceplikas said he is focused on the upcoming academic year, adding that his interim appointment is an "opportunity to test drive the position."
Ceplikas, in his current position as deputy director of athletics, supervises the athletic department's annual giving program, among other responsibilities. In the 15 years since he assumed the post, giving has grown from $500,000 annually to almost $2 million per year.
Ceplikas said he considers the improvement of the College's athletic facilities, an $84-million endeavour, to be the highlight of his tenure thus far. He played a central role in several projects, including the construction of Boss Tennis Center, Scully-Fahey Field, the Fitness Center in Alumni Gymnasium, Corey Ford Rugby Clubhouse and Floren Varsity House, according to a College press release.
The athletic department plans to "shuffle some responsibility" to ensure that the role of deputy director is filled, Ceplikas said.
"I am going to rely heavily on the talent and dedication we have on staff and look to them to be creative, provide great ideas and try to find ways to improve what we do without utilizing more resources," he said. "We are having to explore every possible way to do things more efficiently."
Ceplikas praised Harper, who held the position for seven years and will step down this summer, for her advocacy on behalf of students and her work to improve the College's athletic facilities.
"She has been wonderful at forging positive relationships with other departments," he said.
Harper said Ceplikas was a "great choice" for acting director and was unavailable for further comment.
Ceplikas played on the freshman ice hockey team as a Dartmouth undergraduate and was hired by the College's admissions office upon graduation. He was asked to help develop the newly formed women's ice hockey team as an assistant coach soon thereafter, coaching the team for six years.
"I remember saying, 'You want me to spend two hours a day on the ice with 20 women and pay me for it?'" he said laughingly. "There is a part of me that has always been a coach at heart."
After 11 years working for the admissions office, Ceplikas left the College briefly in 1990 to earn a master's degree in education from Stanford University.
"A 15-year D-Plan was enough," he said.
Ceplikas then returned to Dartmouth as an athletics administrator and was named deputy athletic director in 1994.
"I have a lot of green in my blood," he said. "There is nothing more invigorating than being in an environment around athletes every day. It is an energetic and dedicated population."
Alix Peabody contributed to the reporting of this article.
