Dear UD Community,

As you know, Provost Robin Morgan has announced her plans to retire from her position at the University of Delaware and will begin her retirement leave at the conclusion of the current academic year. While Robin will continue to lead with insight and energy to support students, faculty and staff across the University as our provost, we are moving forward with a search for her successor.

I am pleased to announce that I have appointed a Provost Search Advisory Committee to begin this work immediately. The Committee will host two forums to gather input on the search for a new chief academic officer for the University. The virtual forums are currently scheduled for Wednesday, Nov. 17, at 3:30 p.m. and Thursday, Nov. 18, at 2:30 p.m. More information will be shared about Zoom access to the forums in the coming days.

The Provost Search Advisory Committee will be co-chaired by:

• Gary Henry, Dean of College of Education and Human Development; Professor in the School of Education and the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy & Administration, and

• Cathy Wu, Unidel Edward G. Jefferson Chair in Engineering and Computer Science; Professor, Computer & Information Sciences; Professor, Biological Sciences; Director, Center for Bioinformatics & Computational Biology; Director, Data Science Institute; Director, Protein Information Resource.

Committee members are:

• Cristina Archer — Professor of Physical Ocean Science and Engineering; Professor of Geography and Spatial Sciences; Associate Director, Center for Research in Wind; Faculty Director, Eco-Entrepreneurship certificate program, College of Earth, Ocean & Environment
• Carlos Asarta — Professor of Economics; Lerner College of Business and Economics; James B. O’Neill Director of the Center for Economic Education and Entrepreneurship
• Martha Buell, Professor of Human Development and Famly Sciences; Professor in the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration; CEI Senior Faculty Fellow for Engaged Scholarship; and Contract Maintenance Officer for the American Association of University Professors, University of Delaware Chapter
• Fatimah Conley — Vice President of Institutional Equity and Chief Diversity Officer
• Mary Dozier — Alison Professor; Unidel Amy du Pont Chair in Child Development; Professor, Psychological & Brain Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences
• Thomas H. Epps, III — Allan & Myra Ferguson Distinguished Professor of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering; Joint Professor, Materials Science & Engineering; Affiliated Professor, Biomedical Engineering; Director, Center for Research in Soft Matter & Polymers (CRISP); Director, Center for Hybrid, Active & Responsive Materials (CHARM); Deputy Director, Center for Plastics Innovation
• Jennifer Horney —Founding Director and Professor, Epidemiology Program, College of Health Sciences; Core Faculty, Disaster Research Center
• Kimberley Isett — Associate Dean of Research and Professor, Biden School of Public Policy and Administration; Director, MPH in Health Policy and Management Program
• Salil Lachke — Associate Chair and Professor, Biological Sciences; Alumni Distinguished Early Career Professor of Biology; College of Arts and Sciences
• Rodney Morrison — Vice President for Enrollment Management
• Debra Hess Norris — Alison Professor; Unidel Henry Francis du Pont Chair; Chair and Professor of Photograph Conservation, Art Conservation Department; Director, Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation; College of Arts and Sciences; Trustee
• Thomas Powers — Associate Professor, Philosophy, College of Arts and Sciences; Director, Center for Science, Ethics & Public Policy
• Mary Remmler — Vice President for Strategic Planning and Analysis
• William Repetto — President of Graduate Student Government; Doctoral candidate in English; College of Arts and Sciences
• Lou Rossi — Dean of Graduate College; Vice Provost for Graduate and Professional Education; Professor, Mathematical Sciences; Professor, Computer & Information Sciences
• Kasiyah Tatem — President of Student Government Association; Political Sciences major and Legal Studies minor; College of Arts and Sciences
• Chris Williams — President of Faculty Senate; Professor, Wildlife Ecology, Entomology and Wildlife Ecology; College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Joint Professor, Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy & Administration

Dr. Ilene Nagel, President of Education Executives, LLC and her team have been selected to assist the Search Advisory Committee in identifying exemplary candidates for this position.

As the University’s chief academic officer, the provost is responsible for administration of all programs of instruction, research and service, for promoting collaboration among the colleges and across disciplines, and for facilitating the success of the University’s faculty and students. The leader selected for this role will be instrumental in helping us advance the University’s five strategic priorities: (1) Prioritizing and Expanding Student Success in the Post-Pandemic Era; (2) Building a Social Justice Foundation to Support a Diverse, Inclusive and Intercultural Campus; (3) Expanding Interdisciplinary and Global Opportunities; (4) Redefining Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship; and (5) Reimagining Intellectual and Physical Capital for a Sustainable and Boundless Campus.

Our new provost will also help advance UD’s scholarly achievement, pioneering research and community service while cultivating an inspirational teaching and learning environment that values intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, free inquiry and respect for the views of a diverse society.

Thank you to all the individuals who have agreed to serve on this important committee as we launch the national search for our new provost. As I mentioned, forums are scheduled to gather further input from the UD community to assist our search; I urge you to attend one of these forums. If you are unable to do so, there will be future opportunity to submit your comments to the search committee.

I look forward to working with all of you on this search for our next provost at the University of Delaware.

Sincerely,

Dennis Assanis, President