Kansas State University

Provost names search committee for vice provost for academic affairs and innovation

Submitted by Office of the Provost

Debbie Mercer, interim provost and executive vice president, has appointed the search committee to lead a national search for the university's inaugural vice provost for academic affairs and innovation.

Chairing this committee will be Brad Behnke, interim dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences. The university has engaged the services of WittKieffer, an executive search firm, to support the search process.

Search committee members are:

• Brad Behnke, committee chair, professor and interim dean of the College of Health and Human Sciences. 
• Blake Billings, deputy general counsel, Office of General Counsel.
• Kelley Brundage, university registrar, Office of the Registrar. 
• Royce Ann Collins, professor and chair of the educational leadership department. 
• Bin Ning, associate provost and chief data officer, Office of Data, Assessment and Institutional Research. 
• Karen Pedersen, dean of K-State Global Campus. 
• Don Saucier, university distinguished teaching scholar, professor of psychological sciences and faculty associate director of the Teaching and Learning Center. 
• Mary Tolar, associate professor and dean of the Staley School of Leadership. 
• Ben Wolfe, dean and chief executive officer of K-State Olathe. 

The vice provost will play a pivotal role in coordinating and advancing academic strategies and activities across the university while building a robust, integrated academic innovation function across the university. This position is responsible for ensuring the academic quality of all programs across the university, including programs for credit and noncredit modalities; providing direction and support for faculty programs, services and policies and the university Teaching and Learning Center; and promoting and supporting the integration of academic innovation practices across the entire institution.