The Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President is pleased to introduce Dr. Kelly Ward as the University’s Vice Provost for Faculty Development and Recognition, while also thanking Dr. Fran McSweeney for her many years of outstanding service in the Provost’s Office.
In her new role, Ward will advise the Provost, Deans, and Department Chairs on policy and procedural matters related to faculty, and on personnel issues related to individual faculty members as they arise. She will assist with planning matters related to the faculty and advise the Provost on promotion and tenure decisions, annual reviews, third-year reviews, and professional leave decisions. Ward will sponsor and direct training and development activities for Department Chairs and Directors, create and manage a Dean onboarding program, direct New Faculty Orientation, direct activities that foster the professional development of faculty, and manage faculty awards and recognition programs. In addition, she will advise the Provost regarding faculty diversity and work-life initiatives. Ward will act as a liaison between the Provost and groups involved in faculty governance, and act on other matters at the discretion of the faculty.
Ward joins the Office of the Provost after serving as a Professor of Higher Education, and Chair in the Department of Educational Leadership, Sport Studies and Educational/Counseling Psychology at WSU. Ward’s research examines different aspects of faculty careers and the academic labor market, including intersections of work and family for faculty, campus and community engagement, and leadership development.
McSweeney served as Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs for the past 14 years and was an exemplary faculty member for 43 years. She joined Washington State University in 1974 and is known for her fundamental work on behavior and reinforcement. Throughout her career, McSweeney has been recognized for her outstanding scholarship. Her research has been supported by grants from many agencies, including the National Science Foundation and the National Institute of Mental Health. She is a fellow of the American Psychological Association, American Psychological Society, Psychonomic Society, and the Association for Behavior Analysis, three major professional groups in psychology. She was recognized for her research and teaching accomplishments by being selected as the recipient of the Samuel H. Smith Leadership Award, the Sahlin Faculty Excellence Award for Research, Scholarship and Arts; the Eminent Faculty Award; and the V. Lane Rawlins Distinguished Lifetime Service Award in 2016. McSweeney is a Regents Professor, former Chair of the WSU Faculty Senate, and the former WSU Edward R. Meyer Distinguished Professor of Psychology.
McSweeney’s last day in the Provost’s Office will be on May 12. Please join the Office of the Provost in wishing her all the best in retirement.