My Fellow ’Canes:
As we prepare for the start of what is most certainly going to be another dynamic academic year, I am pleased to share that the search process for the University of Miami’s next Executive Vice President and Provost has come to a successful conclusion.
First, I want to take this opportunity to express my immense gratitude to Dr. Willy Prado for his outstanding leadership as the Interim Executive Vice President and Provost over the past two years. It is because of Willy’s leadership and dedication that we have not missed a beat throughout the interim period. Under Willy’s direction, the University has been able to advance a number of critical initiatives such as the successful placement of numerous dean and leader roles, creation of the new Center for Academic Navigation and Success and the establishment of a new leadership structure and vision for online learning. Willy has been—as always—a ’Cane through and through, placing the best interests of the U and our community above all else. I am happy to share
that Willy will remain a valuable member of our team as the Associate Dean for Research Affairs in the School of Nursing and Health Studies. Willy will also continue to focus on his own research endeavors, which are substantial.
I also want to thank the Provost Search Committee and the entire faculty for its tireless commitment to this process and ultimate outcome. Committee Chair Henri Ford and I provided more than a dozen updates as the process unfolded, and the faculty’s feedback and input at each step of the search were instrumental.
Through this aligned and collaborative process, focused on identification of the best qualified candidate of the highest caliber, Mr. Joel Hassman Samuels emerged as the front-runner. And I am thrilled to report that on Friday July 25, 2025, Joel accepted our offer to join the University of Miami as Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, beginning August 11, 2025. Joel has already begun the process of transitioning to the University and is preparing for his relocation to Miami.
A proven and dynamic leader, Joel brings more than 20 years of experience in higher education to the role designated in our Faculty Manual as Chief Academic Officer of the U.
A tenured law professor specializing in the rule of law, for the past five years Joel has served as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of South Carolina. In his capacity as dean, Joel has led South Carolina’s largest college—made up of more than 10,000 students across 26 schools, departments, and academic programs spanning the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
An accomplished researcher and executive director of South Carolina’s Rule of Law Collaborative, Joel has been the lead Principal Investigator on over $27 million in federal grants, positioning him as the top-funded social scientist at the University of South Carolina. The combination of Joel’s background as a tenured law professor, researcher, and administrator uniquely equips him to understand the challenges and opportunities across our schools and colleges. During his time as Dean, he has achieved impressive results in faculty recruitment, significantly improved student retention, increased funded research in the natural sciences by more than 70%, and helped raise over $100 million to advance innovative academic programs.
The other result of the search process is the decision to create the new role of Chief Scientific Officer—a step that reflects our invigorated commitment to excellence in research and scientific innovation. As we continue to expand our impact in STEM fields and the basic sciences, it is clear that having dedicated, strategic leadership to champion scientific research across disciplines will further distinguish the U on the national and global stage.
This new role will complement the broad academic and operational leadership Joel will provide. We are both excited to champion our faculty’s life-changing research by ensuring that we are not only advancing academic excellence but also accelerating discovery and innovation in ways that shape the future of education, health care, and society. The Chief Scientific Officer role is of such elevated importance that it will have a direct reporting line to me.
Last fall, I emphasized that the role of the Chief Academic Officer in advancing our mission of education, research and patient care made the selection of our next Provost and Executive Vice President one of the most consequential decisions before us. Today, I am confident we made the right one with the selection of Joel Samuels.
Please join me in giving Joel a warm Miami welcome and in thanking Willy for his service as interim. Together with you, we will continue to take every step necessary to build on our record of excellence as a world-class research institution in service to our students, patients, and community.
Onward,
Joe
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Joe Echevarria
President and CEO, University of Miami
President, UHealth |
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