Patricia Prelock Selected as Provost
Dear students and colleagues,
I am very pleased to announce that Dr. Patricia Prelock has accepted our offer to join the University of Arizona as Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, beginning May 19, 2025.
Dr. Prelock is a highly accomplished scientist and scholar, clinical speech-language pathologist, and university leader. A recognized expert in the nature and treatment of autism in children, interprofessional education and collaborative practice, and family-centered care, she has authored over 220 publications and garnered nearly $25 million in university, state, and federal funding as a PI or Co-PI.
For the past three decades she has served as a faculty member at the University of Vermont (UVM) after beginning her career at the University of Pittsburgh, followed by appointments at the College of St. Rose and University of Cincinnati. She earned a PhD in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Pittsburgh, as well as master’s and bachelor’s degrees in speech pathology from Kent State, and she holds the rank of full professor in UVM’s Department of Communication Sciences and Department of Pediatrics.
As a university leader, Dr. Prelock is known for her focus on the well-being and success of students, faculty, and staff, and she is the ideal person to lead our academic enterprise into the future. Her experience at Vermont includes serving as Chair of the Department of Communication Sciences, Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Provost and Senior Vice President, and—since October—as Interim President. In addition, Dr. Prelock has given generously of her time and expertise in community engagement through multiple boards and advisory councils in Vermont and nationally, and she has been a longtime leader in the American Speech-Language Hearing Association and other professional bodies.
My thanks to the search committee, chaired by Dr. Cindy Rankin from the College of Medicine – Tucson and Dean David Hahn from the College of Engineering, for their work to identify strong candidates through a national search and elevate the four exceptional finalists who visited campus. We should be proud of the highly collaborative process and strong engagement from our community during these visits. I appreciate the feedback from all who participated, which included very strong support for Dr. Prelock from all constituencies, alongside a unanimous recommendation for her selection by the search committee.
I also want to extend my thanks to Provost Ron Marx, who has served in an interim role with wisdom, warmth, and clear-eyed advice as we faced the challenges of the past two years. He has shown admirable dedication to our university community and our mission, and I am grateful for his service.
A world-class university like the U of A deserves a world-class provost at the helm of its academic enterprise, and we have that person in Dr. Prelock. I look forward to our work together and to her impact, and I invite you to join me in giving her a warm welcome to Arizona.
Sincerely,
Suresh