We are an inclusive academic community committed to excellence in the pursuit and dissemination of knowledge. We advance intellectual and creative discovery through transformative learning experiences that positively impact our lives and communities.
Dr. Bob Kolvoord
Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
A Message from the Interim Provost
Dear Colleagues,
Happy Friday. This message is coming to you from 5 miles up as I head to a conference. The perspective you get from high above the surface of the Earth is remarkable (yes - I’m a window seat junkie!). It’s a good reminder to seek the bigger picture when you can and remember how everything is connected, especially in the current moment.
We’ll give the weekly email a break next Friday as spring break will be upon us. In the meantime, please enjoy this week’s collection of cool stuff happening across campus.
- You can now see parts of our planet that have never been shown before, thanks in part to Department of Biology Assistant Professor Dr. Kelsey Reider. She served as a scientific advisor for a remote expedition featured in “Americas,” a new documentary series exploring nature from pole to pole. Kelsey spent a month on a small patch of flat rock at 17,500 feet above sea level with a film crew to capture footage for a sequence in “The Andes” episode.
- Two JMU faculty members were awarded grants to create open textbooks through a competitive statewide grant. Dr. Sri Upadhyay, Associate Professor of Psychology, and Dr. Chris Johnson, Associate Professor of Computer Science, each received a grant designed to “provide support for the time it takes to integrate existing open or no-cost materials into a course.” See more online.
- Associate Professor of French Dr. Dorothée Polanz was honored with the 2024 Harold Jones Award for Best Essay in the journal Symposium. Her article “From Myth to Meme: Reinventing (Yet Again) Marie Antoinette in the Age of Streaming” delves into the 2022 Canal+/PBS/BBC biopic Marie Antoinette.
- Institutions searching for new leadership can get guidance from Assistant Professor of ISAT Dr. Raafat Zaini. He and co-author Dr. Kristin Tichenor provide recommendations for governing board members and senior leadership teams going through a presidential transition in the University Business article “Presidential Turnover: How to Plan for the Inevitable.”
Keep sending your teaching and scholarship highlights, awards, and other accomplishments for you and your colleagues to provost@jmu.edu. I look forward to sharing more good news next week.
Sincerely,
Bob
Have Question for the Provost?
Academic Affairs faculty and staff can use the options below to contact the provost directly.
This is an open line of communication allowing faculty and staff to ask questions, but it is not a substitute from the crucial interactions they have with their academic unit head, department head and dean.
Students should contact AcademicQuestions@jmu.edu with questions.
