UToledo’s 17-month nation-wide search for a new Provost is drawing to an end. UT President Dr. Gregory Postel is hoping to announce the new provost next month, with that person assuming their duties next summer.
“I’m hoping by the end of the calendar year to name the new provost,” Postel said.
Melissa Hurst, special assistant to the president for strategic talent development, is assisting the search committee. She indicated previous experience as a provost is not required but a role as a dean would be important.
“We are looking at both internal and external candidates,” Hurst said.
Postel said UT would prefer someone with experience at a public institution, as opposed to a private school.
Dr. Karen Bjorkman resigned as provost in July 2022 and subsequently returned to the faculty after taking a one-year sabbatical leave. She holds a tenured faculty position as Distinguished University Professor and the Helen Luedtke Brooks Professor of Astronomy in the Department of Physics and Astronomy in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics.
A member of the UToledo faculty since 1996, when she joined the Department of Physics and Astronomy, she served as the founding dean of the University’s College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics from 2010 to 2019. She was named interim Provost in January 2019 and was given the permanent job in January 2020.
Following Bjorkman’s departure, Dr. Risa Dickson was appointed UT’s interim provost in July 2022, and given a one-year contract. Dickson came to UT through The Registry, a national company that helps place senior interim leaders on college campuses across the country. An article in the August 15 edition of the UT News announced Dickson’s contract had been extended through the end of the 2023-24 school year; however, her departure was announced a few weeks later.
“It’s my understanding that the president determined that we’d gotten things in a place where an internal person could hold it down until a permanent provost is hired this year,” Dickson said when contacted via social media.
The search for a permanent provost was just beginning when Dickson was hired, but it took time to get everything together as a search committee had to be formed, President Postel said. By the time Dickson left UT no interviews had been conducted with prospective candidates. The current interim provost, Dr. Scott Molitor, is not interested in the permanent position.
“It was a bit unexpected,” Molitor said when talking about his recent promotion. A member of the UT faculty since 2000, prior to being named interim provost in September, Molitor had most recently served as interim vice provost for academic affairs and acting dean of the College of Graduate Studies.
Postel said Molitor is a good fit to lead UT’s transition to the next provost due to his 20-plus years’ experience at UT.
“We are always looking to be frugal,” Postel said. “We don’t ever want to pay for something that is duplicative.”
Molitor intends to go back to his vice provost position when a new provost is ready to take office.
