University of Georgia President Jere W. Morehead has appointed a search committee to recruit and review candidates to be the next senior vice president for academic affairs and provost of the institution.

The committee—composed of faculty, staff, administration, student and alumni representatives—will be co-chaired by Dean Ben Ayers of the Terry College of Business and Dean Denise Spangler of the College of Education.

“The provost serves as the chief academic officer of the institution and plays a vital role in advancing the academic goals of the University,” said Morehead. “I am grateful to Dean Ayers and Dean Spangler for their commitment to lead this important search and for the dedication of all of the committee members.” 

The search committee members are:

Ben Ayers, Davis Chair of Taxation and Dean of the Terry College of Business (Co-Chair)

Toby Carr, Associate Vice President for Government Relations and Director of State Relations

Mi Geum Chorzepa, Associate Professor of Civil Engineering

Michelle Cook, Vice Provost for Diversity and Inclusion and Strategic University Initiatives

Phaedra Corso, UGA Foundation Professor of Human Health

Alan Darvill, Regents Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Director of the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center

Bill Douglas, Chair of the UGA Foundation

Lillian Eby, Professor of Psychology and Director of the Owens Institute for Behavioral Research

Ammishaddai Grand-Jean, President of the Student Government Association
Karen King, Kennedy Professor of Advertising and Public Relations and Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor

Milton Masciadri, University Professor of Music

Laura Meadows, Director of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government

Marie Mize, Circulation Manager of the Law Library and President of the Staff Council

Karen Norris, GRA Eminent Scholar of Immunology and Translational Biomedicine

Andy Owsiak, Associate Professor of International Affairs and Chair of the Executive Committee of University Council

Lance Palmer, Professor of Financial Planning, Housing and Consumer Economics

Kathy Pharr, Associate Vice President for Institutional Affairs and Chief of Staff to the President

Greg Robinson, UGA Foundation Distinguished Professor of Chemistry

Usha Rodrigues, Kilpatrick Chair of Corporate Finance and Securities Law

Denise Spangler, Aderhold Professor of Early Childhood Education and Dean of the College of Education (Co-Chair)

Steve Stice, GRA Eminent Scholar of Animal Reproductive Physiology, Brooks Distinguished Professor of Animal and Dairy Science, and Director of the UGA Regenerative Bioscience Center

Ron Walcott, Professor of Plant Pathology and Associate Dean of the Graduate School

David Williams, Morehead Distinguished Professor and Meigs Distinguished Teaching Professor of Religion, Associate Provost and Director of the Honors Program

Victor Wilson – Vice President for Student Affairs

Morehead said the search committee will soon begin a national search with the goal of completing the process next spring. The search committee will be assisted by the Parker Executive Search firm.

Libby Morris, director of UGA’s Institute of Higher Education and the Zell Miller Distinguished Professor of Higher Education, is currently serving as interim provost.

As the chief academic officer of the University of Georgia, the senior vice president for academic affairs and provost currently oversees instruction, research, public service and outreach, student affairs and information technology. The vice presidents of these five areas presently report to the provost, as do the deans of UGA’s 17 schools and colleges as well as the campus dean of the Augusta University/UGA Medical Partnership. In addition, two vice provosts, six associate provosts and several other academic units report to the provost, encompassing such areas of responsibility as academic fiscal affairs, academic planning, academic programs, faculty affairs, the Honors program, institutional diversity, international education and the libraries.