Mark D. West began his term as provost in August (Courtesy of The Source)

The WashU community recently greeted a new provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, Mark D. West. Previously the Dean of Law at the University of Michigan, West said he plans to uphold WashU’s focus on academic research and encourage all students’ intellectual pursuits. 

West accepted the position after receiving a call from Chancellor Andrew Martin over the summer. He will serve a two-year term as provost, responsible for overseeing all undergraduate and postgraduate academic affairs. West will also be joining the School of Law’s faculty as a visiting professor.

“Mark, someone who I’ve known for a long time, is a deep thinker, super strategic, and is also really skilled with people,” Martin said. “I’m really looking forward to seeing him working with the deans on the Danforth campus [and] working with the faculty across the University as we navigate some pretty choppy waters together.”

West succeeds former provost Dr. Beverly Wendland, who left the role July 31st after serving a five-year tenure. Wendland is still a member of WashU’s faculty and will continue to serve as a senior advisor to the chancellor.

Through her tenure, Wendland said she focused on enriching the student undergraduate experience, helping WashU overcome challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic and implementing Workday Student. She served a pivotal role in the organization of Here and Next, WashU’s 10-year strategic plan.

Will Kirk/Johns Hopkins University

Wendland left her post as provost at the end of July (Courtesy of The Source)

“[We were] working to update and reinvigorate the student academic experience,” Wendland said. “We just really wanted to take a close look at how we’re teaching our students, what we’re teaching them … and make sure that that is all as current and responsive to the current day.” 

The Here and Next strategic plan aims to encourage discussions regarding modern-day issues, thereby promoting the “formation of leaders, the discovery of knowledge, and the treatment of patients for the betterment of our region, our nation, and our world.”

Wendland was also at the forefront of the establishment of the School of Public Health, an initiative of Here and Next. 

“[The School of Public Health] integrates the sets of priorities that really encompassed many parts of the Here and Next Strategic Plan: academic distinction, supporting people, improving things for the community, and [combating] environment issues,” she said.

West plans to build upon Wendland’s focus on the academic experience by supporting the research process for both faculty and students. While recognizing the external pressures that are affecting WashU, West said he wants to promote research throughout the Danforth undergraduate campus in particular.

“The way that you increase a university’s true academic reputation is research,” West said. “So for me, a lot of this is about ramping up the research enterprise because that has never been a well-known strength of [the Danforth campus], but it’s something we do very well but that we can do even better.” 

Looking at his future at WashU, West added that he hopes to engage with the faculty and student body to better understand the needs for academic departments. 

“I think that curiosity is an important thing for the provost to have,” he said. “It’s important for the provost to be present and in constant conversation with faculty and others … [especially] in designing our overall academic program.”

West said that he is excited to make new connections as he explores student and faculty endeavors on campus. 

“WashU is positioned right now to be the next big thing,” West said. “I think that WashU is about to make huge leaps and will be top of mind for people.”

Editor’s note: This article was updated at 2:45 p.m. on Oct. 2. to reflect that Beverly Wendland continues to be a member of WashU’s faculty and serves as a senior advisor to the Chancellor.