The University of Colorado Boulder has selected Ann Huff Stevens from the University of Texas at Austin to be its next provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, effective July 15.
Chancellor Justin Schwartz announced the appointment Thursday following a national search. Stevens’ annual salary will be $620,000.
The provost is the chief academic officer who reports to the chancellor and oversees the university’s academic mission. That includes research, teaching, and the student and faculty experience at the university. For example, the provost aims to foster academic excellence by forging new academic initiatives and supports faculty, staff and students by working with the Boulder Faculty Assembly and Staff Council.
“Dr. Stevens’ background and accomplishments in public higher education during the past two decades present an extraordinary fit for the role of provost at CU Boulder,” Schwartz said in a news release. “Her strong commitment to transparency, excellence in research, academic freedom, and faculty and student diversity and well-being, are aligned with the ideals of the position as lead academic officer of the university.”
Stevens will also receive a one-time signing bonus of $125,000 and an additional $50,000 in relocation assistance, according to her offer letter.
Stevens is the dean of the College of Liberal Arts at UT Austin and an economics professor. As dean, she reorganized research support to produce 50% growth in external research funding in the college between 2017 to 2020 and 2021 to 2024, according to the release.
Stevens also worked with the admissions office and supported student success programs to help the college increase its undergraduate enrollment by nearly 20% while improving four-year graduation rates, the release said. She’s hired or retained accomplished and award-winning faculty and produced the two highest fundraising years in the history of the college, exceeding a multi-year college campaign goal of $350 million, the release added.
Stevens earned her doctorate degree in economics from the University of Michigan and her undergraduate degree in economics and political science from American University.
“I couldn’t be more honored to step into this role as provost and contribute to the future of CU Boulder,” Stevens said in the release. “My research career as an economist has been driven by my belief that research contributes to the public good. My work in interdisciplinary settings and as dean has exposed me to a large span of academic disciplines, and I look forward to working with faculty, staff and students who contribute to an even broader range of academic inquiry, learning and excellence at CU Boulder.”
Stevens will take over for Provost Russell Moore, who is the longest continuously serving provost among all institutions in the Association of American Universities, according to the release. Moore announced in September that he would be retiring from the role after 15 years.