Laura Hill announces retirement from Senior Vice Provost position
Doug Call named as incoming
Senior Vice Provost Laura Hill, whose leadership since 2001 has helped build and retain a world-class faculty while bringing national recognition to Washington State University, will retire at the end of the calendar year.
Regents Professor Doug Call has been tapped by Provost Elizabeth Chilton to assume the senior vice provost role in January 2024. Call, a regents professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Global Health, will begin partnering part-time with Hill in August to help facilitate a smooth transition.
“Dr. Hill has been a tremendous asset whose efforts have profoundly impacted the lives and success of our faculty, staff and students across the WSU system,” said Chilton. “She handles the complex responsibilities of her position with uncompromising excellence and dedication. Her thoughtful and collaborative leadership style has been inspiring, and she will be sorely missed.”
Hill, who holds a PhD in psychology, is a recognized leader in the field of human development, where she previously served as chair of the Department of Human Development at WSU. She held an administrative appointment as associate director for health promotion, research, and evaluation in the university’s Health and Wellness Services from 2011-2014. She is a founding faculty member of WSU’s interdisciplinary Prevention Science PhD program and served on the board of directors of the Society for Prevention Research from 2016-2019. In 2020, Hill was elected as a member of the Washington State Academy of Sciences.
Call, who holds a PhD in zoology, joined WSU in 2000 in the Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology and became a fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2014 in recognition of his work on antibiotic-resistant bacteria in agricultural systems. He has trained over 20 graduate students and published more than 245 peer-reviewed papers. His research into antimicrobial resistance in communities and hospitals in Tanzania, Kenya, and Guatemala has garnered support from the CDC, NIH, NSF, and Wellcome Trust.
In 2021, Call received the Washington State University Sahlin Eminent Faculty Award in recognition of his scholarship and professional service. He served as the chair of the WSU Faculty Senate in 2021-22 and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Washington State Academy of Sciences.
“Dr. Call brings a commitment to excellence and dedication to WSU’s academic and land-grant mission that will complement the provost office’s achievement-focused leadership team,” Chilton said. “The ability to work closely with Dr. Hill during the fall semester will strengthen the formal transition and provide vital continuity for the university overall.”
Information regarding a retirement celebration for Dr. Hill will be released to the university community during the fall semester. The Provost’s Office looks forward to thanking Dr. Hill for her significant contributions and leadership to WSU over the last 22 years and wishing her well in her new adventures.
Dr. Call will join the following members of the Provost’s Office leadership team:
Tammy Barry (Vice Provost for Graduate and Professional Education)
Tammy Barry began serving as vice provost for graduate and professional education (formerly titled dean of the graduate school) on July 1, 2022. In this role, she oversees the various functions of the Graduate School, engages and collaborates with academic leadership system-wide as well as other stakeholders in graduate and professional education, conducts research on national best practices in the administration of graduate and professional education, and makes recommendations for WSU’s administrative and supportive services. Dr. Barry is charged with creating a vision for dynamic growth and excellence in WSU’s graduate and professional education programs, while cultivating an environment that promotes academic success as well as professional and personal development.
Bill Davis (Interim Vice Provost for Academic Engagement and Student Achievement)
Bill Davis began serving as interim vice provost for academic engagement and student achievement in 2021. The Division of Academic Engagement and Student Achievement (DAESA) leads institutional efforts to academically engage students from all majors and provide a high-impact education throughout their undergraduate degree program. Presently, DAESA consists of the Academic Success and Career; Center (ASCC); Distinguished Scholarship Programs; First-Year Programs; Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP); Office of Academic Engagement; Office of Assessment for Curricular Effectiveness; Office of Undergraduate Research; Transfer Center for Policy and Resources; the WSU Writing Program; and University Common Requirements (UCORE).
In the coming months, Dr. Davis will work closely with the incoming WSU Pullman vice chancellor for academic affairs to evaluate all units and offices currently nested in the DAESA structure. They will assess and differentiate the system and Pullman campus responsibilities and develop a set of recommendations for delineating the responsibilities between the Provost’s Office and Pullman Chancellor’s. These recommendations will be socialized with system and campus leadership before evaluation by the Provost and Executive Vice President and the WSU Pullman Chancellor.
Saichi Oba (Vice Provost for Enrollment Management)
Saichi Oba began serving as vice provost for enrollment management in 2020. He has spent his career helping students navigate and succeed in higher education in the Pacific Northwest. Raised in Hawaii by parents who taught middle and high school, he believes in the transformative power of education.
Oba is responsible for the development of system-wide strategies, policies, and processes for enrollment management. The offices of new student enrollment (including recruitment, enrollment marketing, communications, and orientation), undergraduate admissions, student financial services, university registrar, and enrollment information technology all report to the Vice Provost for Enrollment Management.
Kristina Peterson-Wilson (Vice Provost for Academic Administration & Chief of Staff)
A member of the Provost’s Office for nearly nine years, Kristina Peterson-Wilson initially joined the Provost’s Office in 2015, serving in a variety of administrative leadership roles. Recently, she accepted an expanded position to serve as the Vice Provost for Academic Administration and Chief of Staff. She is responsible for academic administration, initiatives, and operations in the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President and serves as a principal advisor and strategic partner to the Provost and the leadership team. This position is responsible for the execution of short, medium, and long-term strategic initiatives for the Provost’s Office.
Zoe Higheagle Strong (Vice Provost for Native American Relations and Programs & Tribal Liaison to the President)
Zoe Higheagle Strong, a Nimíipuu (Nez Perce) tribal member, joined the Office of the Provost in 2018. She currently oversees the Office of Tribal Relations, Native American Programs, and the Center for Native American Research and Collaborations, and is an associate professor in educational psychology, in the College of Education on the WSU Pullman campus.
The Office of Tribal Relations helps facilitate collaborations and reciprocal relationships between WSU and Tribes that respect their sovereignty, knowledge systems, values, and protocols. The Executive Policy 41 on Tribal Engagement, Consultation and Consent and the memorandum of understanding with 13 signatory northwest tribes is intended to guide these relationships. Native American Programs provides youth pathway programs, and undergraduate and graduate programs and services. The Center for Native American Research and Collaboration hosts a series of faculty development, training and collaborative research gatherings.