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An accomplished geophysicist who has led Texas A&M University’s College of Geosciences for the past seven years has been named provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University of Wyoming.
Kate Miller, who began her career as an Amoco Production Co. geologist before earning a Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1991, will begin her duties as UW’s chief academic officer Aug. 1, according to a release from YW.
She succeeds David Jones, who will return to the faculty of UW’s College of Health Sciences. The provost/vice president for academic affairs is the second-ranking leadership position at the university.
“I am so thrilled to have Dr. Miller joining the University of Wyoming as chief academic officer,” UW President Laurie Nichols says. “Her academic background and leadership experience made her an obvious choice. Her experience at Texas A&M will help UW go to the next level of excellence. I am very excited to work with her.”
Since 2009, Miller has served as dean of the College of Geosciences at Texas A&M, leading a college with 100 faculty members, 26 research scientists and 1,500 students, with an annual research and teaching budget totaling $100 million.
Before that, from 2004-08, she was the associate dean of the College of Science at the University of Texas at El Paso, where she rose through the ranks of the faculty from her start as a research specialist in 1991.
“I am very excited to be joining the University of Wyoming, which I have admired for many years,” Miller says. “Even with today’s budget concerns, I recognize the strong support from the state and other stakeholders that will assure that UW thrives in the long term. It will be an honor to be part of the process.”
Miller received her bachelor’s degree in geological and geophysical sciences, magna cum laude, from Princeton University in 1982, and a master’s degree in geophysics from Stanford in 1988, before earning her Ph.D.
Her time with Amoco, now BP, included work as a development geologist, exploration geophysicist and summer geophysicist from 1982-88.
The provost search process was similar to that used by the UW Board of Trustees in its selection of Nichols. A 17-member search committee sought input from campus constituencies and established desired qualifications and characteristics; reviewed and interviewed applicants; and arrived at a list of three finalists, all of whom came to campus for interviews and public presentations. The president’s selection now goes to the UW Board of Trustees for final approval.