Dear Colleagues,

Gabe Paquette, vice provost for academic affairs will be leaving the University of Oregon early next year to join the University of Maine in the role of associate provost for academic affairs and faculty development and professor of history.

Gabe joined the university 2018 as dean of the Robert D. Clark Honors College. He then transitioned to the Office of the Provost where he spent the last two years advancing our promotion and tenure program, and programs focused on academic freedom and service. I am grateful to Gabe for his leadership and thoughtful approach to supporting academic excellence and faculty career progression.

I am pleased to announce that Karen Ford has agreed to serve as interim executive vice provost beginning on January 1. Karen will assume many of the EVP responsibilities that I previously managed in the role prior to my appointment as acting provost and executive vice president. She will oversee the tenure and promotion process. Some of Gabe’s current responsibilities may also be reassigned to other individuals as additional transition details are worked out in the coming months.

Karen has served in numerous leadership roles in her 30 years at the university. She is currently the dean of the faculty for the College of Arts and Sciences. She previously served as interim dean of Clark Honors College and senior divisional dean for humanities in CAS. Before joining the CAS dean’s office, she served for three years as the head of the Department of English, six years as the director of the Creative Writing Program, and six years as the director of graduate studies in English. A professor of English, Karen has also earned numerous awards including University Senate Shared Governance, Transparency, and Trust Award, and the Thomas F. Herman Faculty Achievement Award for Distinguished Teaching.

Please join me in wishing Gabe the very best in his new role and welcoming Karen to the Office of the Provost.

Sincerely,
Janet Woodruff-Borden
Acting Provost and Executive Vice President