Amy Thompson | Photo courtesy of Wright State
Amy Thompson will officially take the office as provost and senior vice president of Academic Affairs on June 1.
Thompson will take Oliver Evans’ place, who served as interim provost since 2021.
Details
Thompson hails from the University of Toledo where she served as senior vice provost of Academic Affairs. She also served as part of the University of Toledo’s pandemic response, professor and director of public health, associate provost of faculty affairs and liaison.
“Dr. Thompson’s strong student-centric focus is complemented by her commitment to academic achievement. This combination will be sure to enhance our efforts supporting student success,” President Sue Edwards said.
WSU emphasized her leadership ability, energy, enthusiasm, and student-focused insight as reasons for her selection. Her goals include building relationships among faculty, students and staff and increasing enrollment and retention. She values transparency, communication, and collaboration, according to the university press release.
“Because Dr. Thompson is joining us from another institution of higher education in Ohio, her understanding of the Ohio Department of Higher Education, the state legislature, and Ohio’s overall academic landscape will allow her to hit the ground running as she moves into this new role,” Edwards said.
The provost reports to the president and is responsible for overseeing and guiding Wright State’s academic programs and research and academic support services.
“Student success is key,” she said. “I’m always looking for ways to make sure that when students arrive on campus, they’re successful, that they are supported and that we can help them graduate in a timely fashion.”
An 18-member committee of university administration and community leaders led the search for a new provost, which lasted four months. The four finalists, including Thompson, then each visited campus to interview for the position.
Thompson says she plans to begin her tenure as provost building relationships among the faculty, staff and students and helping to increase enrollment and retain existing students.
