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Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President

Meet the Interim Provost

Interim Provost Debbie Mercer

Debbie Mercer serves as the Interim Provost and Executive Vice President of Kansas State University, providing strategic leadership on all aspects of university governance and the academic enterprise. As the university’s Chief Academic Officer, Interim Provost Mercer is responsible for all undergraduate and graduate academic programs, overseeing academic planning, resource allocation, and innovation while ensuring excellence and relevance in the design of the curriculum. She is focused on the quality of teaching and learning; providing global perspective and strategic direction to successfully manage operating budgets; and enhancing the quality of the student experience at all levels. 

The deans of the nine academic colleges, the K-State Libraries, Graduate School, Global Campus, Staley School of Leadership, and the CEOs and deans of both K-State Salina and K-State Olathe report to Mercer. University offices also reporting to Mercer include Enrollment Management, Institutional Effectiveness, Institutional Research and Assessment, International Programs, and Academic Success and Student Affairs.. Mercer also serves as the university's chief executive officer in the president's absence.

Interim Provost Mercer works closely with President Richard Linton and the K-State community to advance the university’s Next-Gen K-State strategic plan. She also works closely with the K-State Foundation and President Linton on university  development campaigns, is responsible for the university’s academic reporting to the Kansas Board of Regents, and serves on several boards, including K-State Athletics.

Mercer joined Kansas State University in 2010 and was named as Dean of the College of Education in 2012. 

Mercer's career began as a library media specialist and then a kindergarten teacher in a rural Kansas school district. She accepted a faculty position at Fort Hays State University in 1998 and quickly ascended through the ranks and was named interim dean in 2005 and dean in 2006, a position she held until her appointment at K-State. 

As Dean of the College of Education, Mercer's accomplishments include creating technologically advanced learning environments at the university — including securing iPads for all preservice teachers and instructional faculty — and her efforts supporting the Go Teacher program, which brought Ecuadorian teachers to the university and other institutions to enhance their English proficiency, serving more than 3,000 students.

Mercer's leadership and guidance have had a statewide impact on teacher preparation. Her work led to the development and implementation of assessment systems to document effective candidate preparation for teachers and school personnel. She has also provided extensive service to the Kansas State Department of Education, including chair of the Professional Standards Board and many accreditation-related activities. Mercer has published an edited book and numerous articles related to children's literature and served as co-editor of the Kansas Journal of Reading.

Mercer holds four degrees from Kansas State University: a doctorate in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in reading and English as a Second Language, a master's degree in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis in reading and language arts, a bachelor's in elementary education, and a bachelor's in family and child development.

Mercer will serve as Interim Provost and Executive Vice President until the appointment of Jesse Perez Mendez as Provost and Executive Vice President begins on June 1, 2024.