It’s my pleasure to extend a warm welcome to Dr. Mark Richards, the University of Washington’s new provost and executive vice president for academic affairs and Professor of Earth and Space Sciences. I am delighted to be working with Mark and look forward to his contributions to our community. Mark’s responsibilities are broad and include serving as the University’s chief academic and budget officer in support of teaching, research and service across the UW.
Prior to joining us, Mark was a professor of Earth and planetary science and special assistant for diversity in the mathematical and physical sciences, having previously served as executive dean of the College of Letters and Science (2006-2014) and dean of Mathematical and Physical Science (2002-2014), all at the University of California, Berkeley. He is a celebrated scholar of geology and will be delivering a public lecture of great general interest — the seismic and meteoric activity that coincided with the extinction of the dinosaurs — on October 30. It will be a wonderful opportunity for our campus to get to know Mark and learn more about his fascinating research — I look forward to seeing you there and at the welcome reception that will follow.
Until then, Mark will be taking time this summer to get to know our campus and community, as well as our beautiful region and state. He’ll be visiting many units and departments to learn about the extraordinary teaching and scholarship that define our academic community, as well as the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Please join me in making Mark — along with his wife, Dr. Sarah Noonberg, and their three children — feel welcome, as we all work together to advance the great public mission of the UW.