Meyerand, Zumbrunnen named vice provosts; Cramer to continue in special role

Provost Karl Scholz has announced the appointment of two new faculty vice provosts, both of whom will serve in key leadership positions for the provost’s office.

Beth Meyerand, professor of medical physics and biomedical engineering, will become the vice provost for faculty and staff affairs, and John Zumbrunnen, professor and chair of the Department of Political Science in the College of Letters & Science, has been named vice provost for teaching and learning. Both positions are rotating appointments held by tenured faculty.

Meyerand will start July 1, replacing Michael Bernard-Donals, who will return to his faculty appointment full-time after serving as vice provost for faculty and staff since 2014. With 21 years of experience as a faculty member at UW–Madison, Meyerand has been recognized for her excellence in mentoring. She has served as chair of the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and also served as a member, then chair, of the University Committee.

The vice provost for faculty and staff works closely with individuals in administrative offices, deans of schools and colleges, and other units across campus to address issues of concern to faculty and staff. The role supports faculty and staff recruitment and retention through a number of programs including Cluster Hiring, Target of Opportunity, and dual career couple assistance, and provides a lead role in the management of all centrally-held professorships.

“I am honestly thrilled and genuinely honored by the opportunity to serve the staff and faculty at UW–Madison in the role of vice provost for faculty and staff affairs,” Meyerand says. “I am looking forward to helping to recruit and support talented and broadly diverse faculty and staff across all disciplines and in every school and college and providing them the resources they need to excel. We live in tumultuous times and the challenges are great, but I believe the opportunities are even greater. I can’t wait to get started.”

Zumbrunnen will begin serving as vice provost for teaching and learning on Aug. 1, in the position held by Steve Cramer. Previously, he served as faculty director of the Chadbourne Residential College, co-chaired the UW Teaching Academy, and chaired the Teaching and Learning with Technology Advisory Group. He also serves as Senior Fellow for the Educational Innovation initiative.

The vice provost for teaching and learning provides leadership and support for UW–Madison’s teaching and learning mission in areas including educational innovation, teaching professional development, undergraduate research and student learning assessment.

“Over the last few months, we’ve seen the dedication, energy and excellence of UW–Madison’s teaching and learning community on full display,” Zumbrunnen says. “I’m deeply honored to take on this leadership role, as we move through the COVID-19 crisis and work together to continue providing inclusive, meaningful and high-impact learning experiences for all of our students.”

Cramer will continue working in the provost’s office for an additional year in a special appointment as vice provost for instructional continuity and academic affairs, continuing leadership of the instructional continuity and related efforts necessitated by the COVID-19 virus.

“Steve and Michael have both done outstanding work in their respective roles,” Scholz says. “Each of them has led a number of important initiatives, and I am very grateful for their exceptional leadership and service to the campus. At the same time, my colleagues in the provost’s office and I look forward to working with Beth and John, and I am grateful that Steve is willing to continue the important work on the instructional front. This will be an all-hands-on-deck year, to be sure, and I am confident that Beth and John will be strong contributors to our effort.”