Provosts' Council

University of Delaware

Dr. Tom Apple
Provost

Tom Apple graduated from the Pennsylvania State University with a degree in Biology and earned his PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Delaware.  He did post-doctoral work at the Department of Energy Ames Laboratory at Iowa State University. 

Apple was named Provost at the University of Delaware in July of 2009.  He returned to Delaware in 2005 as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Chemistry after a 14-year tenure as a Professor of Chemistry at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), where he served as Department Chair, Dean of Graduate Education, and Vice Provost.  Prior to his tenure at RPI, Apple was a Professor of Chemistry at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. 

Apple is recognized as a leader in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in solid materials.  He is the author of more than 60 refereed papers and the recipient of 14 grants from the NSF and NIH. 

The winner of Outstanding Teacher Awards at multiple institutions and of the Louis Redding Diversity Award at the University of Delaware, Apple is passionate about teaching and research and their transformative potential.  He co-chairs the University’s Diversity Action Council and is member of the Executive Committees of the Delaware Health Sciences Alliance and the Delaware Biotechnology Institute.

Drexel University

Dr. Mark L. Greenberg

Provost

Mark L. Greenberg earned his bachelor's degree in English from Queens College of the City University of New York and his master's and doctoral degrees in English Language and Literature from The University of Michigan. At Drexel, Greenberg has served as Professor of English, dean of undergraduate education, and founding dean of the Pennoni Honors College.  He also has served as interim dean of the School of Education, supervisor of the Drexel-School District of Philadelphia Partnership, and as director of graduate studies in the English Department. 

Greenberg has published three books and more than 30 articles or chapters in books and delivered more than 80 invited presentations and keynote addresses on 18th and 19th century British literature, literature and technology, and literature and science. 

Greenberg has been a Trustee for eleven years and Vice President of the Board of Trustees at Germantown Academy, where he also chaired the Trustees’ Education Committee.  He serves on the Ambassadors Board of the Science Leadership Academy (a Philadelphia magnet high school) and has served on the Board of Directors of the Pennypack Ecological Restoration Trust. 

George Mason University

Dr. Peter N. Stearns
Provost

Peter N. Stearns became Provost and Professor of History at George Mason University on January 1, 2000. He has taught previously at Harvard, the University of Chicago, Rutgers, and Carnegie Mellon; he was educated at Harvard University.

Stearns has authored or edited over 100 books. He has published widely in modern social history, including the history of emotions, and in world history. He has also edited encyclopedias of world and social history, and since 1967 has served as editor-in-chief of The Journal of Social History.

While under Stearns’ leadership, George Mason University was awarded the 2006 Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education. Dr. Stearns wrote Educating Global Citizens in Colleges and Universities, which was published in early 2009.  He also taught an International Higher Education course during the spring 2009 semester. His next book, Globalization in World History, will be published in 2010.

Since becoming Provost nearly a decade ago, Stearns has participated in a considerable growth in enrollment, of over 35%, and in massive expansion of funded research and facilities. Expansion in the global arena has included new recruitment of international students and educational and research collaborations in China, Russia, Sierra Leone, South Korea, the Middle East and elsewhere.

Georgia State University

Dr. Risa Palm
Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost

Risa Palm assumed the role of Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost on Sept. 1, 2009. Prior to that she served as Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the State University of New York, Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost at Louisiana State University, and from 1997–2003, she was Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

Palm received both a B.A. degree in history, with a minor in French, and a B.S. degree in social studies education from the University of Minnesota. She subsequently received an M.A. degree in geography from the same institution. In 1972, she was awarded a Ph.D. in geography from the University of Minnesota. From 1972 to 1981, she was a faculty member, beginning her career as an assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley.

Other previous administrative positions include: dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Oregon (1991–97); associate vice chancellor for research and dean of the Graduate School at the University of Colorado, Boulder (1987–91); associate vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Colorado, Boulder (1984–87); and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado, Boulder (1981–84).

Hofstra University

Dr. Herman A. Berliner
Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Lawrence Herbert Distinguished Professor

Herman A. Berliner is in his 40th year at Hofstra University. He became provost at Hofstra University in 1990 after having served for almost one year as the acting provost.

Berliner joined Hofstra in 1970 as an assistant professor of economics after having earned a Ph.D. in economics from the City University of New York Graduate School. He was awarded tenure in 1975, promoted to associate professor in 1978 and to professor in 1985. As a faculty member, Berliner has taught economics courses on both the graduate and undergraduate levels, and he has also served on a number of doctoral dissertation committees for the School of Education and Allied Human Services.

He has served in a number of key administrative positions, including interim dean and dean of the School of Business (1980-1982 and 1983-1989), associate provost and associate dean of faculties (1978-1983), acting dean of the School of Education (1983-1984), associate dean of University Advisement (1975-1976) and assistant provost (1976-1977).

Provost Berliner played a vital role in the establishment of the School of Communication and the School for University Studies, the first new Schools established at the University since 1970. More recently, under his leadership, Honors College was established. Presently, he is a member of the Joint Leadership Group working on the establishment of the new Hofstra School of Medicine in partnership with the North Shore/LIJ Health System.

Berliner's areas of specialty as an economist include the economics of higher education, and he is presently a TIAA/CREF Fellow.

James Madison University

Dr. A. Jerry Benson

Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

A. Jerry Benson was appointed Interim Provost of James Madison University in July 2010.  Previously at James Madison University, he served as Vice Provost for Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, Health and Human Services, Dean of the College of Integrated Science and Technology, Dean of the College of Education and Psychology, and Director of the JMU Human Development Center and Shenandoah Valley Child Development Clinic.  He came to JMU in 1980 after serving 6 years as Director of Psychological Services for the Regional Educational Services Area IV in West Virginia.

Benson is a Professor of Psychology with a focus on the School and Counseling programs.  His primary areas of interest are consultation, systems intervention, and program evaluation.  He has served in state and national capacities with the School Psychology Association, Council of Teacher Education, and NCATE.

He holds a B.A. in Psychology from Concord College (WV), a M.A. in Psychology (School) and a Ph.D. in Transactional Ecological Psychology (APA approved combined-integrated clinical program) from George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University.

University of North Carolina Wilmington

Dr. Cathy L. Barlow
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs

Cathy Barlow became provost of the University of North Carolina Wilmington in May of 2010, after serving in an interim capacity for one year.  Prior to that appointment Barlow served as the Dean of the Watson School of Education (WSE) at the University of North Carolina Wilmington.

Barlow received a B.A. in Psychology/Education from Milligan College, an M.A. in Special Education/Learning Disabilities from Ball State University, and an Ed. D. in Educational Leadership/Administration Statistics from the University of Tulsa. Prior to coming to UNCW in 2000, she was a department chair, dean and interim dean at the University of Evansville and Morehead State University respectively.

She is very active professionally at both the local, regional, and national level and has held leadership positions in the Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities and the American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education.  The Watson School of Education was recognized by the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and under her leadership won the 2006 Christa McAuliffe Award for Excellence in Teacher Education.  She was instrumental in the planning and establishment of UNCW’s second doctoral program, the Ed. D. in Educational Leadership and Administration.

Northeastern University

Dr. Stephen W. Director
Provost

Stephen W. Director became Northeastern University’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs, and a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering in July, 2008. Prior to joining Northeastern he held a number of other academic positions and administrative positions.  He began his academic career as a faculty member in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Florida in 1968. He joined the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University as Professor in 1977, became head of the department in 1982 and was appointed Dean of Carnegie Mellon’s College of Engineering in 1992. In 1996 he joined the University of Michigan as Dean of the College of Engineering and in 2005 he was appointed provost and senior vice president at Drexel University. Dr. Director received the B.S. degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1965 and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from the University of California, Berkeley in 1967 and 1968, respectively.  He has authored six books and nearly two hundred journal articles and conference proceedings. 

Director was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 1989 and is a fellow of both the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the American Society for Engineering Education.  He has served as President of the IEEE Circuits and Systems Society, as Chairman of the CASS Technical Committee on Computer-Aided Network Design (CANDE) and as associate editor of the IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems.  In 1982, he founded the SRC-CMU Research Center for Computer-Aided Design and was named an Honorary Professor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University by the Chinese Ministry of Education in 2002.

Old Dominion University

Dr. Carol Simpson
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Carol Simpson became Old Dominion University’s provost and vice president for academic affairs in January 2008.

Prior to her appointment at Old Dominion, Simpson served as vice president and provost at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Mass. (2005-2007), and served as associate provost for research and graduate education at Boston University (1999-2005). She also has more than four years' experience as a program officer with the National Science Foundation in addition to service on numerous federal, professional, and academic review panels and editorial boards.

As a faculty member, Simpson served as professor and chair of the earth sciences department at Boston University, associate professor at both Johns Hopkins University and Virginia Tech, and visiting assistant professor at Oklahoma State University and Brown University.

An expert in structural geology and tectonics, she has authored more than 50 refereed publications and more than 80 professional conference papers and has received external grants of almost $1.4 million for her research. Simpson's honors include a Best Paper Award from the Geological Society of America (GSA), selection as a member of the AURA U.S. National Solar Observatory oversight panel, and election as a fellow and councilor of the GSA.

She received a bachelor's degree in geology from the University of Wales, a master's in geology from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, and a doctorate in structural geology from ETH Zurich in Switzerland.

Towson University

Dr. Marcia G. Welsh
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Marcia G. Welsh has previously served as provost and senior vice president at Adelphi University, associate provost and dean of the Graduate School at the University of South Carolina, department chair at the University of South Carolina, and professor in the Department of Developmental Biology and Anatomy, University of South Carolina School of Medicine.

Welsh has taught basic science and anatomical sciences courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels. She was voted Teacher of the Year in the USC School of Medicine, selected Woman of the Year by several associations in South Carolina and New York, and was selected one of Long Island's Top 50 Women in 2007.

Welsh holds a B.S. and M.S. from Colorado State University, and a  Ph.D. from University of Texas, Health Science Center at San Antonio, with a concentration in anatomy.

Virginia Commonwealth University

Dr. Beverly J. Warren
Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs

Beverly J. Warren was appointed interim provost of Virginia Commonwealth University in April 2010. Previously, she served as interim dean and dean of VCU's School of Education for five years. She came to VCU in 2000, serving as Professor and Division Head of Health, Physical Education and Recreation. Previously, she served as professor and chair at Lander University, Greenwood, S.C., and as associate professor and director of graduate programs at Appalachian State University, Boone, NC.

She has numerous publications in the areas of the treatment of childhood obesity and the physiological parameters of youth fitness. For her research efforts, Warren received Lander University's Endowed Professorship for 1999-2000. Currently, Warren's research interests focus on issues in urban education including access and success for urban youth, the preparation of teachers for urban environments, and coordination of education through P-20 initiatives.

Warren is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and the Research Consortium of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. She was elected to the Board of Trustees of the American College of Sports Medicine in 2004 and is a former President of the Southeast Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine. She serves as the Chair of the Advisory Board for the Virginia Literacy Institute and is a board member for the Partnership for People with Disabilities and the Metropolitan Educational Research Consortium.

She received her B.S. degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and her M.S. degree from Southern Illinois University. She holds two doctorates, an Ed.D. in Administration of Higher Education from the University of Alabama and a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from Auburn University.

The College of William and Mary

Dr. Michael R. Halleran
Provost

Michael R. Halleran earned his bachelor's degree from Kenyon College, and his M.A. and Ph.D. from Harvard University, all in classics.

Prior to his appointment as provost, Halleran served for four years as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Miami.  Prior to that, he had been at the University of Washington since 1983, where he served from 1997-2005 as divisional dean of arts and humanities.  Halleran previously taught at Connecticut College and the College of the Holy Cross, and he was a teaching fellow at Harvard University.  His primary area of scholarship is ancient Greek drama, and he has published widely on Greek literature and culture.