Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos will next week present Richard McCarty to the Board of Trust as his choice to fill the position of provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs.
McCarty currently serves as the dean of the College of Arts and Science.
"The College of Arts and Science has seen tremendous and transformative progress since Richard joined Vanderbilt as dean in 2001," Zeppos said in e-mail to the Vanderbilt community. "He has led the development and implementation of a new undergraduate curriculum, spurred a significant increase in external funding, and recruited and retained distinguished faculty in virtually every department. This has coincided with the largest growth ever in student interest, quality, diversity and selectivity, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels."
Prior to his tenure at Vanderbilt, McCarty received his bachelor's degree in biology and his master's degree in zoology from Old Dominion University before earning a Ph.D. from The Johns Hopkins University.
He is also a fellow of several scientific societies, including the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, the Society of Behavioral Medicine, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Zeppos announced that Carolyn Dever, executive dean and professor of Women's and Gender Studies, will serve as the interim dean of the College of Arts and Science while a national search is conducted for the permanent replacement.
"As we prepare for Commencement, which is only the most visible celebration of our academic values, it is particularly timely that we look to the future of our great university by renewing our leadership," Zeppos said in the e-mail. "I am proud that Vanderbilt can do so from within, drawing on the extraordinary talent that we have at every level. That is a testament to our essential strength as a university, and will be the foundation of our continued success."
