University of Arizona’s new president goes back to his roots to fill vacant provost job

• Patricia Prelock, interim president of the University of Vermont, has been appointed provost of the University of Arizona.
• Prelock, a former provost and dean at UVM, oversaw enrollment growth and achieved R1 research status for the institution.
• Prelock was selected following the brief tenure of former Provost Joseph Glover, who stepped down after a month to return to the University of Florida.

The University of Arizona has selected the interim president of the University of Vermont, Patricia Prelock, as its new provost. 

Prelock had been leading the University of Vermont since UA President Suresh Garimella vacated the role in October to begin his position in Tucson. She previously served as provost at UVM since 2019 and will begin her term as UA provost on May 19.

Prelock’s time as a leader of UVM saw the school grow by 1,000 students and achieve R1 research status, a designation given to the nation’s top research universities. Her background is in clinical speech-pathology, where she specialized in the treatment of children with autism and family-centered care. She holds a doctorate degree from the University of Pittsburgh in speech-language pathology and taught as a faculty member at UVM since the 1990s.

“Dr. Prelock is a world-class academic leader and the ideal person to serve as our provost as we align the U of A around our strategic imperatives,” Garimella said in an announcement to the campus community.

Traditionally, university provosts are responsible for academic and administrative support. At UA, the Office of the Provost oversees all academic programs and units.

“My visit to the University of Arizona confirmed for me the extraordinary talent of the faculty, staff and students and their desire to increase academic success, their focus on research for the future, and their commitment to engagement with their community,” Prelock said in a statement. Prelock was chosen from four finalists by a 14-person committee that included faculty, staff, students and administrators.

This year’s search comes after former Provost Joseph Glover stepped down last August after just over a month in the position. That was among several leadership changes the university has seen over the last year, including the selection of Garimella.

Glover returned to the University of Florida, where he originally moved from, as the school underwent a period of transition following the departure of former President Ben Sasse. Ronald Marx returned to his role as interim provost as the university looked to replace Glover over the last several months.

Helen Rummel covers higher education for The Arizona Republic. Reach her at hrummel@azcentral.com. Follow her on X, formerly Twitter:@helenrummel.