Office of the Provost

Dear Members of the Brandeis Community,

I am writing to share two updates to the leadership team in the Office of the Provost.

I am delighted to announce that Steven Karel has been appointed as Vice Provost for Research. Steven has served in various roles at Brandeis since 1996, most recently as Co-Director of the Division of Science.  He holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from Stanford and was a faculty member at Princeton before moving to Brandeis. The search committee enthusiastically recommended Steven for this position based on his outstanding contributions to the Division of Science, his deep knowledge of Brandeis, and his vision for strengthening research and creative activity across the university.  
 
As Vice Provost for Research, Steven will represent the Academy in research initiatives, promote faculty and student research, manage units involved in grant solicitation and management, and oversee regulatory compliance associated with research.  He will work closely with the academic deans and division heads to advance the quality of the research and creative enterprise across campus, including all of the schools and the divisions of Arts & Sciences. He will also oversee the Office of Research Administration, Office of Technology Licensing and Foster Lab and ensure that information about funding opportunities and regulatory issues is broadly communicated across campus.

Steven will begin at 25% from now through November, and will move to 100% on December 1.  Interim Vice Provost Irv Epstein has graciously agreed to stay on through December to assist with the transition, and I am grateful for his leadership and service.

I would like to thank the search committee for their service, which was chaired by Irv, and included Gannit Ankori, Wendy Cadge, Don Katz, Blake LeBaron, Avital Rodal, and Cindy Thomas.

I am also thrilled to announce the promotion of Kim Godsoe to Vice Provost for Academic Affairs.  Kim has been at Brandeis since 1994, including having spent the last eight years in the Office of the Provost, most recently as the Senior Associate Provost.  She has overseen major initiatives to advance the goals of the university including serving as co-chair of the Framework for Our Future Learning/Living Task Force, initiating partnerships with Chinese institutions so our undergraduates could have a residential academic experience during the COVID-19 travel bans, as well as providing leadership and management to a wide portfolio of academic support offices.  As Vice Provost, Kim’s portfolio will expand to include serving as the Accreditation Liaison Officer, overseeing preparation for and execution of the five-year and ten-year review by NECHE, and leading our assessment efforts.  She will coordinate and contribute to the Committee on Academic Standards and Policy; the Committee on Teaching, Learning and Assessment; and the Academy Committee for the Brandeis Board of Trustees.

Please join me in welcoming Steven and Kim into their new roles.

Sincerely,
Carol Fierke