Office of the Provost: People, Role & Responsibilities

September 18, 2020

 

As we begin the academic year, I write to provide information about the central Office of the Provost, and to offer an overview of the people who make up our office and their roles and responsibilities, including some new assignments. The individuals in the office are dedicated to supporting and advancing the work of the University, and I’m honored to lead and partner with them on this work.

As a reminder, the Office of the Provost is organized to uphold and advance Brown’s mission, values and strategic priorities as outlined in Building on Distinction and the Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan.  We also seek to be flexible and responsive to emerging priorities. The last six months have prompted institutions of higher education, including Brown, to reimagine how we fulfill our core mission of teaching, research and service. At Brown, we have had to transition swiftly to online instruction, providing resources for faculty to continue to offer the exceptional education Brown is known for, supporting the varying needs of domestic and international students, and reaffirming our commitment to addressing systemic racism on and beyond our campus.

Within the office of the provost, I have sought to align our resources to respond to these shifting needs and contexts, while also attending to our key priorities of enhancing academic excellence, strengthening our community and ensuring fiscal sustainability. These actions, and those we’re planning, will position the office and University to withstand the many challenges we currently face, and to be prepared for the shifting and yet unknown higher education landscape in the future. The following are key partners in this work:

Elizabeth Doherty, Deputy Provost for Academic Affairs: Beth oversees the many streams of work that are critical to ensuring academic excellence, including leading the external review process and staffing the Academic Priorities Committee and the Corporation Committee on Academic Affairs. She works closely with departments on strategic planning efforts and is engaged with policy development and implementation. Beth will continue to play a central role in the academic continuity work that the University has been doing since last spring. She also oversees the Registrar’s Office and the Office of Institutional Research, and is the University’s representative on the Council on Financing Higher Education (COFHE) and our liaison to the New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE).

Lynda Murphy, Executive Assistant: Lynda provides high-level executive support for the provost and for associate provost for space Tom Roberts. Those who work closely with the office know that she does an amazing job scheduling meetings and events, and assisting with special projects that originate from the Office of the Provost.  She works closely with the provost’s senior leadership and with colleagues within and beyond Brown to advance the work of the office and ensure operational effectiveness.

Asabe Poloma, Assistant Provost for Global Engagement and Director of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellows program: Asabe joined the Office of the Provost from the College this summer to provide enhanced leadership and support for the international scholar community at Brown. As assistant provost, Asabe is Brown’s senior international officer and is responsible for cultivating a vibrant and well-supported international community of students, staff, faculty and visitors, and ensuring effective and efficient operations that advance the University’s global reach and impact. She works with colleagues in the Office of Global Engagement and leads the Global Brown team’s efforts across the University to advance Brown’s international strategy.

Stephen Porder, Assistant Provost for Sustainability: In this half-time role, Associate Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Stephen Porder reports to both the provost and Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Barbara Chernow. He works regularly with Facilities Management, senior university leaders and with faculty, staff and students, and was instrumental in developing Brown’s Sustainability Plan to achieve net zero emissions within an ambitious and achievable timeframe. A draft of this plan was completed this year following substantial campus-wide input, and is being refined to share with the community later this semester.

Shankar Prasad, Deputy Provost and Vice President of Academic Innovation: Shankar begins the year with a new assignment focused on using online tools to develop and shape programs that promote access by reaching new and diverse communities of learners, and expanding our reach and impact in the world. The importance of understanding and leveraging the role of technology in course delivery is more evident than ever before, as we teach our students across multiple locations and time zones. To leverage Brown’s efforts in this area, President Paxson and I have asked Shankar to take on this new role, which entails working with colleagues across the University to identify, design, and deliver new and engaging academic programs to respond to the current and evolving academic environment. In particular, guided by data on workforce trends, he will collaborate closely with colleagues in the Sheridan Center, CIS and the School for Professional Studies, as well as with faculty and staff across the University. He will assume this role in addition to his other responsibilities as Deputy Provost.

Thomas Roberts, Associate Provost for Space: The associate provost for academic space is a half-time position that advises on planning and managing space and facilities-related projects in support of the University’s academic mission. A critical aspect of the role is serving as a liaison between faculty and Facilities Management, helping to understand and convey the space and infrastructure needs of faculty, and to identify and advocate for approaches and solutions to meet scholarly goals within budgetary parameters.  Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Tom Roberts assumed this role July 1, 2020, and has been active in academic continuity efforts.

Christopher Rose, Associate Provost for STEM Initiative: In this half-time position that began July 1, 2020, Professor of Engineering Chris Rose provides leadership and strategic coordination of efforts to recruit and support faculty from historically underrepresented groups in STEM fields. This includes advising on effective approaches for faculty hiring, monitoring progress and identifying obstacles across the University, and developing and overseeing mentoring programs. Chris also manages the Provost Visiting Professors Program with a focus on STEM fields, as well as the Thinking Out Loud lecture series that is supported directly by the Office of the President.

Marisa Quinn, Chief of Staff:  As chief of staff, Marisa oversees and supports a wide range of executive projects, and leads communication and engagement efforts. She is responsible for initiatives designed to cultivate community, such as the By Faculty for Faculty lecture series, the partnership with the Staff Advisory Council on the Faculty in Focus lecture and Staff Readings series. This year, she is supporting the Addressing Systemic Racism initiatives of the office. She partners closely with the Office of University Communications and also works with a number of student groups in this role. 

Joel Revill, Associate Dean of the Faculty & Associate Provost for Special Projects: Joel’s primary appointment is with the Dean of the Faculty office. As associate provost for special projects, which is a part-time position, Joel works with schools, departments, institutes and centers on projects that involve faculty policies and data.

Margot Saurette, Executive Assistant and Project Coordinator: Margot has a part-time appointment with the Office of Institutional Research, and is part-time in the Office of the Provost, where she serves as executive assistant to Deputy Provost for Academic Affairs Elizabeth Doherty. In this role, she provides administrative support for the external department review process, the Academic Priorities Committee, and other projects as needed.

Mary Wright, Associate Provost for Teaching and Learning: As associate provost for teaching and learning, Mary oversees the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning, which now includes the Digital Learning and Design team, to promote a University-wide hub for teaching and learning. Among her responsibilities is to provide opportunities to support evidence-based teaching to create an inclusive environment where all learners can succeed. Mary is also Professor of Practice in the Department of Sociology.  

I hope that this is a helpful overview of the central Office of the Provost. The website provides a complete organizational chart and offers an overview of our work and priorities on behalf of Brown. It’s a great group of people who are committed to advancing Brown’s mission.

Sincerely,

Richard M. Locke, Provost