Dear University Community,
I write to inform you of an important development in the executive leadership team. Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Jeffrey L. Duerk has decided to leave the administration with current plans to join the faculty full-time, following a one-year sabbatical commencing July 1, 2023. We will take a thoughtful approach to the succession process and will keep faculty members, trustees, and the rest of our community informed about major decisions.
During his six-year tenure as Provost, Jeff championed interdisciplinary collaboration and led the faculty through various natural disasters and the pandemic. Indeed, it was the work Jeff prompted early in his time at the U to ensure the continuity of our academic mission following Hurricane Irma that set us up for success during the COVID-19 emergency.
The University also advanced in key areas, establishing 97 new endowed chairs, increasing the diversity of our faculty, and continuing to make the University of Miami attractive for students and researchers. Under Jeff’s leadership, we launched transformative efforts, including the Frost Institute for Chemistry and Molecular Science, the Institute for Data Science and Computing, and the Climate Resilience Academy, as well as the Laboratory for Integrative Knowledge (U-LINK), the Platform for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (PETAL), the initial and continued investment in the emerging Institute for Mathematical Sciences of the Americas, our first ever Provost Teaching Awards, our first three-year baccalaureate degree, one year accelerated degrees in Software Engineering and Computer
Science to meet the demands of the Miami tech migration, and an interdisciplinary incubator for academic innovation, among others.
Please join me in thanking Jeff for his work as Provost and commending him on his successes during a challenging period for higher education. We look forward to a seamless transition this summer.
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