Provost search announcement (November 19, 2019)
Dear Colleagues,
It gives me great pleasure to announce that I am recommending the appointment of Sue Alcock as the next provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs of the University of Michigan-Dearborn, pending approval by the U-M Board of Regents at their meeting on December 5. The appointment would be effective January 1, 2020.
Sue has a long and distinguished career in the academy having held numerous administrative and academic roles. She is a world-acclaimed scholar and teacher who will bring great insight, perspective and industry to our senior leadership team. Sue has served at some of the best universities in the world. Her experiences at Brown University and the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor and Flint), have prepared her to immediately step into this position and make a significant impact on our campus.
Since 2018, Sue has served UM-Flint as the interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. Prior to that, she served in the U-M office of the president as special counsel for institutional outreach and engagement and as a presidential bicentennial professor. Sue is also the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor and professor of classical archaeology and classics in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts at U-M Ann Arbor. Most notably, Sue is a recipient of the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship often called a “genius award.” She will be the first MacArthur Fellow on the Dearborn campus.
After teaching at the University of Reading, in the United Kingdom, Sue began her career on the faculty at U-M culminating in her position as a curator in the Kelsey Museum of Archaeology and the John H. D’Arms Collegiate Professor of Classical Archaeology and Classics.
Sue then moved to Brown University where she served as Joukowsky Family Professor of Archaeology and director of the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World. During this time, she was also deputy and interim vice president for research at Brown.
In addition to the MacArthur Fellowship, Sue has received numerous honors and awards including the distinguished visiting fellow from Princeton University, the Spiro Kostof Award from the Society of Architectural Historians and the Henry Russel Award at U-M. She has also lectured at the British Academy, among many other prestigious venues. Sue has published 13 books and more than 50 articles and has been cited thousands of times.
Sue completed her bachelor of arts summa cum laude at Yale University and received a second bachelor’s degree from the University of Cambridge (UK), where she also received a master of arts and Ph.D.
Sue has enthusiastically agreed to begin working with Provost Kate Davy to provide for a smooth transition and will also become engaged in the final phases of our strategic planning efforts and the development of a strategic enrollment management plan.
A national search for our provost commenced in April. We were fortunate to attract a strong, robust and diverse pool of candidates. I would like to thank the committee for their time, thoughtful questions and detailed evaluation of all of the candidates. Search committee membership includes:
- Rima Berry-Hung, director, Human Resources
- Stein Brunvand, professor of educational technology and associate dean, CEHHS
- Pamela Heatlie, director, Office for Institutional Equity
- Ghassan Kridli, professor of mechanical engineering and associate dean, CECS
- Gail Luera, professor of science education, CEHHS
- Caitlin Parker, coordinator for Greek Life, Student Life
- Carmel Price, assistant professor of sociology, CASL
- Gabriella Scarlatta, professor of French and associate dean, CASL (co-chair of committee along with me)
- Crystal Scott, associate professor of marketing and assistant dean, COB
- Jonathan Smith, William E. Stirton professor of English and chair, department of behavioral sciences, CASL
- Sean Smith, student, CECS
- Timothy Taylor, registrar, Enrollment Management
- Claudia Walters, collegiate lecturer, assistant research scientist and lecturer IV in geography, CASL
Keisha Blevins, chief of staff, served as advisor and staff to the Committee.
Please join me in welcoming Provost Designate Sue Alcock formally to the UM-Dearborn family. Information regarding a welcome reception will be shared after the first of the year.
Go Blue – Go Dearborn!
Domenico Grasso
Chancellor