It gives me great pleasure to announce that Gerald “Jerry” Baldasty has accepted the position of provost and executive vice president, a role he has filled on an interim basis for the past 14 months with dedication and distinction.
I offer my sincere thanks to the many of you in the UW community who provided comments and advice throughout the selection process, and extend a special ‘thank you’ to the advisory committee (listed below), chaired by Dean Jim Jiambalvo and Professor Kathleen O’Neill, past Faculty Senate chair, for their thoughtful and diligent work in vetting Jerry’s candidacy.
At the University of Washington, service to the academic mission should be at the core of all we do. With that in mind, Jerry’s excellence as a scholar and teacher, as well as a seasoned administrative leader, makes him the ideal person to serve as UW’s chief academic and budgetary officer. The provost oversees the challenging and crucial work of ensuring our teaching and scholarship is of the highest quality. This is the foundation of our University, and Jerry’s commitment to the UW ensures that work is in safe hands.
Jerry’s commitment to the University of Washington runs deep. A Spokane native, he is a “Double Dawg,” with a UW undergraduate degree and a UW Ph.D. in communications. Appointed to the faculty in the Department of Communication in 1978, Jerry has demonstrated leadership and scholarship that have earned him numerous recognitions and honors, including the Distinguished Teaching Award.
This appointment is for no more than a three-year term, effective June 1, 2016, and contingent on approval by the Board of Regents, to whom I will present my recommendation for confirmation. With Jerry’s appointment, he and I are excited to continue our work on a range of efforts, from enhancing the Husky Experience to transforming our administration to better serve the UW’s academic and research missions. His leadership on innovative initiatives like the Husky 100 and pilot programs including the Teaching Technology Fellows and Evidence-based Teaching is helping to advance the boundless student experience and world-class teaching that are hallmarks of the UW.
Jerry is a truly outstanding leader within our University community and a colleague whose partnership I personally value greatly. With our eyes firmly on the future, I’m excited to begin this next chapter in the UW’s history together.
President Advisory Selection Review Committee on the University of Washington Provost and Executive Vice President
- Jim Jiambalvo, Dean and Kirby L. Cramer Chair in Business Administration,
Michael G. Foster School of Business (co-chair) - Kathleen O’Neill, Chair, Senate Committee on Planning and Budgeting;
Professor, School of Law (co-chair) - Zoe Barness, Vice Chair, Faculty Senate and Associate Professor,
Milgard School of Business, UW Tacoma - Alex Bolton, President, Graduate and Professional Student Senate
- Karam Dana, Assistant Professor, School of Interdisciplinary Arts & Sciences, UW Bothell
- Daniel J. Grossman, Professor, Department of Computer Science and Engineering
- Byron Joyner, Vice Dean for Graduate Medical Education and Professor,
School of Medicine - Joe Lott, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies,
College of Education - Linda Martin-Morris, Principal Lecturer, Department of Biology,
College of Arts and Sciences - Mark Pagano, Chancellor and Professor, UW Tacoma
- Tyler Wu, President, Associated Students at the University of Washington