Dear Members of the TC Community:
It is my distinct pleasure to announce the appointment of KerryAnn O’Meara as Teachers College’s next Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost, and Dean of the College, effective July 5, 2023. Dr. O’Meara is currently Professor of Higher Education and a Distinguished Scholar Teacher, as well as Special Assistant to the Provost for Strategic Initiatives, at the University of Maryland.
Dr. O’Meara draws on insights from organizational behavior, higher education research, and behavioral economics to identify and test policies, practices, and interventions that support the recruitment, retention and advancement of diverse faculty. She is an internationally recognized expert and sought-after thought leader in faculty affairs and diversity, equity and inclusion.
For ten years, Dr. O’Meara served as Director of the University of Maryland’s ADVANCE program, an institution-wide effort to invest in the hiring, professional growth, retention, and advancement of diverse faculty through changes in systems, policies, and cultures. Her efforts resulted in documented improvements in faculty retention and advancement, and improved workload equity in academic departments in three state systems.
In her research, Dr. O’Meara examines faculty careers and academic rewards systems with a particular focus on organizational practices that support and limit the full participation of women, minoritized faculty and engaged scholars. Her work has been widely published and has received continuous funding from the National Science Foundation since 2010.
Dr. O’Meara also served as Associate Dean of Faculty and Graduate Affairs at UMD College of Education, as well as Assistant to the President for Strategic Initiatives. She developed campus-wide DEI onboarding now experienced by more than 30,000 members of the UMD community, and now leads implementation of UMD’s strategic plan. She was a 2021-2022 American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow, and was elected and served as President of the Association for the Study of Higher Education in 2020. Through these roles, Dr. O’Meara has earned a reputation for equity-focused reform, a steadfast approach to problem-solving, and shared governance.
Dr. O’Meara’s research expertise and direct experience leading positive organizational change will be invaluable as we continue to advance TC’s strategic priorities. We look forward to working together to strengthen the College for the future and empower all of our students, faculty, staff, alumni, and partners to thrive. I am confident that her leadership will help Teachers College reach new heights of academic excellence and social impact.
I want to thank our search committee members for their tremendous commitment to identifying exceptional candidates and their work throughout the process. I am grateful, too, for the active participation of our faculty members, so many of whom attended the finalists’ presentations.
I would also like to express my deep appreciation to Interim Provost Bill Baldwin for his leadership over the past year.
Please join me in congratulating and welcoming Dr. KerryAnn O’Meara to the Teachers College community!
Sincerely,
Thomas Bailey
President, Teachers College