BURLINGTON — University of Vermont President Suresh Garimella announced Monday that interim provost Patricia Prelock will stay in the position permanently.
Prelock was the dean of the university’s College of Nursing and Life Sciences before being appointed interim provost and senior vice president in April. The provost is the chief academic officer at the university.
Garimella announced the decision in an email to the campus community Monday afternoon.
“Since she assumed the role in April, she has met and exceeded every expectation,” Garimella said. “I have consulted with the deans, leadership of the faculty senate, and board leadership. Everyone is supportive and enthusiastic.”
Prelock had been College of Nursing and Health Sciences dean for 10 years before being appointed interim dean. She had also been a department chair and professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders.
Garimella wrote that Prelock had been appointed interim provost following an “extensive” internal search that resulted in a number of qualified candidates.
“Given Patty’s outstanding performance and the recent, robust internal search that resulted in her initial appointment, the board and I have decided, with the unanimous support of the senior academic leadership of the university, to appoint Patty as provost and senior vice president, effective immediately,” he wrote.
The university will be launching a national search for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences dean position soon, Garimella wrote.
Scott Thomas, the dean of the College of Education and Social Services, has been the interim dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences since Prelock was appointed interim provost.
Prelock replaced David Rosowsky, who had been UVM’s provost for six years. Rosowsky announced he was stepping down in February to allow Garimella the opportunity to build his own leadership team.
Rosowsky, who returned to the faculty in the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, is one of six finalists in the presidential search at the University of North Dakota and interviewed for the position last week.
Garimella assumed the presidency in July and announced last week that UVM would be freezing its tuition at current levels for the next academic year.
