University of Vermont Interim President Patty Prelock is one of four finalists to become the next provost at the University of Arizona.
If selected for the role, she would join former UVM President Suresh Garimella, whom Prelock replaced in the fall when he left Vermont to become the Arizona land grant university’s 23rd president. Longtime Vice President for Finance and Administration Richard Cate is also slated to become a special advisor to the president in Tucson following his retirement after 17 years at the University of Vermont.
Prelock was scheduled on Monday to visit the University of Arizona’s campus for interviews with the university’s faculty, staff and students, as first reported by the Arizona Daily Star. Over the past two weeks, the three other provost candidates made similar public visits.
University of Arizona’s search for a provost has been ongoing since December, and Garimella said in a letter to the university that he hopes to find a permanent replacement within the current academic year.
Adam White, a spokesperson for the University of Vermont, said the university is aware of Prelock’s candidacy and referred all additional questions about her status and role as provost to the University of Arizona. The University of Arizona was not immediately available for comment.
Prior to her tenure as interim president, Prelock spent more than 30 years at the University of Vermont, including as the provost and senior vice president. The university just selected Marlene Tromp as its next president, who is scheduled to assume the post by the summer.
