Search begins for new provost

Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin has appointed a 17-member search and screen committee to help identify a new provost and chief academic officer at the University of Wisconsin—Madison. Robert J. Hamers, the Steenbock Professor of Physical Science in the Department of Chemistry, will serve as committee chair.

John Karl Scholz, who was appointed provost in 2019 and served as interim chancellor following the departure of former Chancellor Rebecca Blank, announced in November that he will be returning to the UW–Madison faculty. 

“I am tremendously grateful to the committee members for their service to this important search. Provost Scholz will leave big shoes to fill, but I am confident we will find a great collaborator and academic leader to serve as our next provost,” Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin says.

The provost is the chief academic officer of the university and the second-ranking officer under the chancellor, responsible for overseeing and coordinating the academic and outreach missions of the university.

As the chief academic officer, the provost works closely with the deans and with campus leadership as well as shared governance, faculty, staff and students to deliver on UW–Madison’s threefold mission of education, research and outreach.

The search and screen committee is working with national executive search firm WittKieffer to identify a strong pool of candidates.

Members of the UW–Madison Provost Search and Screen Committee are as follows: 

Laura Albert, Professor and David H. Gustafson Department Chair, Industrial & Systems Engineering, College of Engineering 
David Andes, Professor, Department of Medicine and Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine & Public Health and College of Agricultural and Life Sciences 
J. Michael Collins, Professor and Fetzer Family Chair in Consumer and Personal Finance, Consumer Science, School of Human Ecology; family economics specialist, Division of Extension 
Susan Cook, Professor and Pamela O. Hamel/Music Board of Advisors Director of the School of Music, Mead Witter School of Music, College of Letters & Science

Felipe Gacharná, Creative Associate Director, School of Education 
Priyanka Guptasarma, Associated Students of Madison student representative 
Robert Hamers, Steenbock Professor of Physical Science, Department of Chemistry, College of Letters & Science 
Diana Hess, Dean, School of Education 
Makenna Kull, ASM Financial Specialist II, Student Affairs

Ann Palmenberg, Roland Rueckert Professor, Department of Biochemistry, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences 
Lauren Papp, Jane Rafferty Thiele Professor of Human Ecology and Associate Dean of Research, Human Development & Family Studies, School of Human Ecology 
Andrew Pietroske, Associated Students of Madison student representative 
Krishanu Saha, Associate Professor, Biomedical Engineering 
Linda Scott, Dean, School of Nursing

Abbey Thompson, Assistant Dean, Diversity, Inclusion and Funding; Graduate School 
Chris Walker, Director, Division of the Arts 
Susan Yackee, Professor and Director, LaFollette School of Public Affairs

Questions or nominations can be sent to search and screen committee chair Robert J. Hamers and WittKieffer, at UWMadisonProvost@wittkieffer.com. Additional information about this search and the position description will be posted at https://provost.wisc.edu/academic-leadership-searches/.