Personal News

 

To: University Faculty and Other Academic Appointees

From: Ka Yee C. Lee, Provost and David Lee Shillinglaw Distinguished Service Professor

Subject: Personal News

Date: December 9, 2022

 

Later today, President Alivisatos will be writing to you to share that I will be transitioning out of my role as provost and assuming a new position at the University as Executive Vice President for Strategic Initiatives. I will continue to serve as provost until my successor is named and begins in the role. The aim is to appoint that individual by the end of the winter quarter.

 

Serving as provost of our great university has truly been an honor. I have been and continue to be inspired every day by our talented faculty, staff, and students. It has been a privilege to work with two university presidents and share the mission to uphold the University of Chicago’s commitment to rigorous inquiry, free expression, and diversity and inclusion as core principles that guide our decision-making. It has been particularly moving to witness how a global crisis brought us together to find solutions to problems we have not faced before, with a singular objective of advancing the University’s academic mission and supporting the transformative work of our faculty, staff, and students across the University.

 

As the chief academic officer of our University, I understand that the faculty are at the core of the work of the Office of the Provost. My admiration for the accomplishments and critical contributions of our faculty to the research and teaching mission of the University has only grown as I have met, learned from, and worked with so many of you over the last three years.

 

I have also partnered with many of you on various institutional matters, and this work has been impactful for the University and deeply meaningful for me personally. The collaborative spirit and dedication I have witnessed and experienced is something I will carry forward, and I thank you for sharing this common sense of purpose and commitment to the University. I am proud of what we have accomplished together, and I look forward to our continued collaborations.