Provost Office Leadership Transitions

Dear DU Community,

I am writing to share updates regarding the upcoming transitions in research leadership roles in the Provost’s Office. As you know, Mary Clark will join the DU Community as provost on July 15. I will continue as interim provost until then, but starting July 1, will again assume the role of senior vice provost of research and graduate education.

DU’s Research and Graduate Education would not have seen such great success, especially through recent COVID-19 related turmoil, without the dedication and leadership of two incredible faculty members, Dr. Kimberly Bender and Dr. Keith Miller.

Dr. Kimberly Bender, who led DU’s research enterprise during yet another excellent year for expenditures, will complete her term as interim associate vice provost for research on June 30. I would like to take a moment to thank Kim for her incredible work serving DU research and the greater DU community. Kim has done an outstanding job in this role, displaying impressive leadership throughout her tenure, but especially during the Coronavirus shut down and the subsequent resumption of research, scholarship and creative work on campus. Kim engaged with faculty to facilitate cross-division collaboration, as well as to spark new collaborations within and between unlikely units. This is most dramatically apparent in the successful launch of the Knowledge Bridge program. Kim, who was recently named the Philip D. and Eleanor G. Winn Endowed Professor for Children and Youth, will continue her work in the Graduate School of Social Work.

I’m pleased to announce Dr. Keith Miller will officially assume the position of associate provost for graduate education, starting July 1, after holding the role in an interim capacity this past academic year. To assume this position permanently, Keith will leave his position as director of the Honors Program and an internal search for that post will begin later this summer. In the past few, challenging months, Keith led with a creative and innovative approach as he worked with University leaders to quickly move performance and courses online during the spring quarter in response to COVID-19, as well as launched the online program management office (OPM), which is supplying the University’s academic units with the expertise and skills for creating and delivering digital education. Keith worked with divisions to reduce hurdles and improve overall function of the Office of Graduate Education (OGE) to the campus, students, and divisions. Under his leadership, OGE coordinated the rapid launch of the Crimson Application this spring, a streamlined graduate application process with a guaranteed minimum scholarship for our recent undergraduate alumni.

Finally, I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve you and the University as interim provost. My time in this role, coupled with the struggles caused by the pandemic, has only amplified my excitement for our students, as well as our faculty, in their research, scholarship and creative work through leadership and tangible impacts. Many in our community are well positioned to support, advance, and lead the most important issues pressing our nation, region, and city. With the close of FY 2020, we are projecting to cross the $40 million mark in research expenditures. This is an amazing trajectory any year, but it is even more impressive given the campus movement to remote work for more than two months. Meanwhile, our projections for fall graduate enrollment remain optimistic, and we continue to be poised to switch teaching modalities in an agile and efficient manner, should the need arise. I am truly proud of the work we have accomplished together this past year and eagerly anticipate what’s to come.

Best regards,

Corinne Lengsfeld
Interim Provost & Executive Vice Chancellor