Ann Huff Stevens named provost

Chancellor Justin Schwartz today announced his appointment of Ann Huff Stevens as provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, effective July 15. 

“Dr. Stevens’ background and accomplishments in public higher education during the past two decades present an extraordinary fit for the role of provost at CU Boulder,” Schwartz said. “Her strong commitment to transparency, excellence in research, academic freedom, and faculty and student diversity and well-being, are aligned with the ideals of the position as lead academic officer of the university.”

Stevens currently serves as dean of the College of Liberal Arts and professor of economics at the University of Texas at Austin, where she holds the David Bruton, Jr. Regents Chair in Liberal Arts. Her accomplishments as dean of the College of Liberal Arts, UT Austin, include:

• Reorganized research support to produce growth of 50% in external research funding in the college between 2017–20 and 2021–24.
• Working with the admissions office and supporting student success programs allowed the college to grow its undergraduate enrollment by nearly 20% while improving four-year graduation rates.
• Hired or retained faculty who have since earned recognition as a MacArthur Fellow, a Carnegie Fellow, a National Book Award Finalist and winners of top international prizes in history and poetry.
• Produced the two highest fundraising years in the history of the college (at $70 million and $53 million per year), exceeding a multiyear college campaign goal of $350 million. 

Stevens’ research interests include the incidence and long-term effects of job loss, connections between economic shocks and health, and poverty and safety-net dynamics. Her research has been supported by numerous grants from foundations and federal agencies and is widely cited, placing her in the top 4% of economists worldwide.

“I couldn’t be more honored to step into this role as provost and contribute to the future of CU Boulder,” Stevens said. “My research career as an economist has been driven by my belief that research contributes to the public good. My work in interdisciplinary settings and as dean has exposed me to a large span of academic disciplines, and I look forward to working with faculty, staff and students who contribute to an even broader range of academic inquiry, learning and excellence at CU Boulder.” 

“Dr. Stevens joins CU Boulder at a time when our unwavering commitment to our education, research and creative work and public service missions is especially critical for Colorado and the nation,” said Michele Moses, vice chancellor and senior vice provost for faculty affairs and co-chair of the provost search advisory committee (along with Sonia DeLuca Fernández, senior vice chancellor for leadership support and programming). “With her deep experience as a longtime academic leader and active scholar and teacher, we are so fortunate that Dr. Stevens has agreed to serve as provost and lead the Division of Academic Affairs. I know our students, staff and faculty will extend a warm welcome to her when she arrives at CU Boulder,” Moses said.

Stevens received her doctorate in economics from the University of Michigan and her undergraduate degree in economics and political science from American University.

Stevens succeeds Russell Moore, the longest continuously serving provost among all institutions in the Association of American Universities. Last fall, Moore announced he was stepping down from the role after 15 years of service as provost.