President Lawrence P. Ward announced yesterday the launch of a national search for the University of Hartford's next provost and vice president for academic affairs.
Dear Colleagues,
I am pleased to announce the launch of a national search for our next provost and vice president for academic affairs. This pivotal leadership role serves as the chief academic officer of the University and provides strategic vision and operational oversight for all academic programs, faculty development, curricula, scholarly and creative research, and academic support services. The provost works collaboratively with deans, faculty, staff, and students to advance our mission of educational excellence and innovation while fostering an inclusive and dynamic learning environment.
The search will be guided by a university search committee composed of faculty representatives from each of our schools and colleges, administrative leaders, and staff members. The committee will be co-chaired by Vice President Kayon Morgan and Professor Ted Sussmann, and Ilena Rosenstein from the Office of the President will coordinate administrative support and logistics. The committee offers diverse perspectives from across our campus community to help ensure that we identify candidates who have the requisite experience and capabilities effectively to lead our academic enterprise and whose background aligns with our institutional values, mission, and strategic priorities.
Search Committee Members:
- Kayon Morgan (Co-Chair), Vice President for Inclusive Excellence and Belonging
- Theodore (Ted) Sussmann (Co-Chair), Associate Professor, CETA
- Erica Brilhart, Executive Director, Graduate and Professional Studies
- Kristin Comeforo, Associate Professor, A&S
- Guy Drapeau, Vice President & Chief Financial and Administrative Officer
- Carolina Flores, Associate Professor, Hartt
- JLS Gangwisch, Assistant Professor, HAS
- Karen Griffiths, Associate Professor, ENHP
- Wei (Andy) Hao, Professor, Barney
- Kylee Heyerdahl, Assistant Vice President, Marketing and Communication
- Nicole Kurker-Stewart, Executive Director, International Center
- Joseph Sylvestro, University Regent
- Dennis Wasko, Professor, Hillyer
The search process will unfold over the coming months with several key milestones. The application deadline for best consideration will be at the end of the fall semester, allowing us to review a robust pool of candidates during the winter break. We anticipate bringing finalists to campus for comprehensive visits early in the spring semester, providing opportunities for meaningful engagement with faculty, staff, and students. Following these campus visits (and if the search unfolds as expected), I will plan to announce the appointment of a new provost in March 2026.
To support this critical leadership search, we have retained AGB Search, which is an affiliate of the Association of Governing Boards for Colleges and Universities. They will also serve as our partner for the ENHP dean search, with related updates to be forthcoming. AGB Search has conducted 1,500 searches in the U.S. and internationally since its founding in 2010. Their consultants work closely with institutional partners to develop a thorough understanding of institutional needs and culture, which is essential to identifying the strongest pool of leadership candidates.
As part of our commitment to an inclusive search process, the committee will host several listening sessions for campus constituents throughout the fall semester to gather input about the attributes, experiences, and qualities that we seek in our next provost. Details about these sessions will be shared in the coming weeks. Additionally, we encourage all members of our community to share their perspectives through our online survey.
Take Survey
(closes on Wednesday, Oct. 1, at 11:59 p.m. EDT)
I am grateful to the search committee members for their commitment of time, energy, and expertise to this important work. As the search gets underway, I look forward to your active engagement and input throughout the process, which will be invaluable to a successful search and the selection of the right chief academic officer for our university. Finally, I want to express my deep appreciation to Provost Katherine Black for her many years of dedicated service to the University of Hartford.
Sincerely…lpw
Lawrence P. Ward, EdD
President