Dear UT Community,

I am pleased to announce that the Provost Search Advisory Committee held its initial meeting Friday. As the university’s chief academic officer, the provost has an essential role in advancing excellence in teaching, research, undergraduate and graduate education, and in the recruitment and retention of faculty members. The provost will be a key leader in developing and executing academic strategies in conjunction with the deans leading the colleges and schools, as well as the other units reporting to the Provost’s Office.

I have asked Dr. Karen Willcox of the Cockrell School of Engineering to chair the Provost Search Advisory Committee. Following is the full list of committee members.

Six faculty members elected by the General Faculty:

  • Charlotte Canning, Department of Theatre and Dance
  • Andrea Gore, College of Pharmacy
  • Alberto Martínez, Department of History
  • Laura Starks, Department of Finance
  • Debra Umberson, Department of Sociology
  • Karen Willcox, Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics

Six appointed faculty members:

  • Keffrelyn Brown, African and African Diaspora Studies Department
  • Thomas Chen, Department of Mathematics
  • Allan Cole, School of Social Work
  • Martin Harris, Department of Medicine
  • Kristin Harvey, Department of Statistics and Data Sciences
  • Charlton Lewis, School of Architecture

Three appointed staff representatives:

  • Darrell Bazzell, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
  • Rainbow Di Benedetto, Chair, UT Staff Council
  • Linda Dickens, Associate Vice President for Strategic Academic Initiatives

Three students:

  • Alcess Nonot, President, Senate of College Councils
  • Paola Nicole Chi Amen, Graduate Student, Department of Radio-Television-Film
  • Gregorio Ponti, Vice President, Graduate Student Assembly

Representative of the Deans Council:

  • Ann Stevens, Dean, College of Liberal Arts

Representatives of the Provost’s Office:

  • Tasha Beretvas, Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs
  • Janet Dukerich, Vice Provost for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution

Paul Kinscherff, Deputy to the President, is an ex-officio member from the President’s Office.

Dr. Ilene Nagel, Dr. Marshall Grigsby, and Charles Kaler of Education Executives will serve as the search consultants.

The committee seeks nominations from members of the campus. The Provost Search Advisory Committee and I invite students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends to submit, confidentially, nominations for provost to: utprovost@edexsearch.com. We will also be hosting several forums to solicit community input. Details will follow shortly.

I thank the members of the Provost Search Advisory Committee and the committee chair, Dr. Willcox, for taking on this critical task for the university.

Sincerely,

Jay Hartzell
President