Two established leaders named to new positions at KU

Colleagues,

I am excited to announce that two talented University of Kansas leaders will assume new leadership roles at KU.

First, it is my pleasure to name Arash Mafi — currently the executive dean of the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences — as the next provost and chief academic officer for KU and executive vice chancellor for the Lawrence and Edwards campuses.

Since joining KU in 2023, Arash has distinguished himself as a thoughtful and effective leader, and his experience leading the College positions him to immediately advance ongoing initiatives while also shaping new strategies for the future. In particular, he has successfully navigated budget challenges while enhancing student success, expanding research and strengthening partnerships across our campuses in support of our One KU initiative. For these reasons and more, he is exceptionally well suited for this role.

In consultation with Arash, I am also pleased to announce that Jennifer Roberts — currently our senior vice provost of academic affairs — will become the new executive dean of the College.

In her time at KU, Jen has served at every faculty rank and in a wide range of leadership roles, including geology department chair, vice provost for graduate studies, and senior vice provost for academic affairs. Through these experiences, she has developed a deep understanding of the College and our broader academic enterprise. As such, her appointment brings stability and continuity for the College community.

Beyond their administrative talents, Arash and Jen are accomplished researchers and respected leaders who care deeply about students, colleagues and institutional excellence. They believe in the power of higher education to transform lives, and they are committed to strengthening KU’s status as a leading research institution and member of the Association of American Universities.

Arash and Jen will begin their new roles March 2. In the coming weeks, Arash will work to identify a new senior vice provost for academic affairs to succeed Jen in that role.

A special opportunity

Announcing two leadership appointments at once was not something I anticipated. But our comprehensive provost search, which included multi-day interviews and feedback from more than 900 faculty and staff, made clear we had an exceptionally strong pool of finalists. Given this, when I offered Arash the provost position, we agreed that Jen’s experience, credibility and deep institutional knowledge make her uniquely prepared to seamlessly transition into this role and lead the College with confidence and consistency. I am grateful she accepted this responsibility.

Thank you

I extend my sincere thanks to all four provost finalists, each of whom brought unique strengths to the process. I am also grateful to the search committee and to everyone who attended the finalists’ presentations and shared feedback. Your input played a central role in my decisions.

I also want to thank Barbara Bichelmeyer for her leadership as provost and EVC. During the past six years, Barb helped guide KU out of structural budget deficits, strengthen our financial foundation, achieve record-high enrollment and advance every aspect of our mission. Through it all, she has been steadfast in her support for faculty, staff and students. She has made KU better, and I am honored to call her a colleague and a friend.

Please join me in welcoming Arash and Jen to their new roles. I look forward to working with them, and all of you, to move KU forward.

Respectfully,

Doug