Two experienced academic leaders have been selected as vice provosts at Northern Arizona University.
Dan Kain, dean of the College of Education, will become vice provost for Academic Personnel, replacing Susanna Maxwell, who is retiring. Debra Larson, associate dean in the College of Engineering, Forestry and Natural Sciences, will become associate vice provost for Academic Affairs, replacing Ron Pitt, who also is retiring.
Both positions become effective July 1.
Kain will report to Liz Grobsmith, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs, and will manage all faculty and academic professional matters relating to personnel. A new duty will be the management of faculty data systems including workload, salary and personnel timelines.
“I am very pleased to welcome Dean Kain to the Office of the Provost,“ Grobsmith said. “His experience and accomplishments as dean make him an ideal individual to support faculty recruitment, development and retention.”
Larson will report to Karen Pugliesi, vice provost for Academic Affairs, and will work closely with deans, associate deans and chairs in relation to curriculum governance and management, enrollment processes, academic policy administration, summer sessions and commencement. Units reporting to Larson include the Office of Curriculum and Academic Systems Administration, and the Office of the Registrar.
“Debra Larson is a wonderful addition to our leadership team,” Pugliesi said. “She brings many talents and a wealth of experience as an educator and academic leader.”
Larson said she looks forward to her new role, and recognizes “that I am following in the shoes of an un-replaceable person—Dr. Ron Pitt—whose dedication to NAU and attention to detail will be hard to duplicate.” But, she added, “I will continue the work of facilitating all that we do so well and will work collaboratively with many to create new processes, practices and opportunities that will further our reach and reputation as an institution of higher education. “