Michigan Tech Names New Provost

Michigan Technological University has named Lesley M. Lovett-Doust as its new provost and vice president for academic affairs. She comes to Michigan Tech from Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario, where she has been dean of science and environmental studies and a professor of biology.

"Dr. Lovett-Doust has distinguished herself as a teacher, researcher, and administrator," said Glenn M. Mroz, president of Michigan Tech. "We are extremely pleased that she has decided to join us. She and Michigan Tech are a great fit."

As provost, Lovett-Doust will be the chief academic officer of the university, responsible for all of Michigan Tech's academic programs and faculty. The provost leads strategic initiatives to promote outstanding scholarship, development of academic programs and efforts to enhance diversity.

A native of Scotland, Lovett-Doust was associate executive dean of engineering and science at the University of Windsor before becoming dean at Lakehead University. She earned a Bachelor of Science with honors in resource management and ecology from Edinburgh University and a Ph.D. in ecology and evolution from the University of Wales. She has taught at Mount Holyoke College in the United States, in addition to the University of Windsor, the University of Western Ontario and the University of British Columbia in Canada.

"Lesley is going to fit right in to the executive team, and I am looking forward to working with her," said David D. Reed, vice president for research at Michigan Tech. "Our deans also work well as a team, and Lesley is the perfect person to work with them to advance the University's strategic plan. With new deans to be hired next year for the College of Science and Arts and the School of Business and Economics, Lesley will be able to bring fresh ideas and energy to an academic leadership team comprising both experienced and new people." Until Lovett-Doust's appointment, Reed was also serving as provost at Michigan Tech.

Larry Sutter, a professor in Michigan Tech's Transportation Institute and chair of the Provost Search Committee, said: "The search committee unanimously supported Dr. Lovett-Doust to be the next provost and vice president for academic affairs. We felt her distinguished scholarly record, administrative experience, strong communication skills, and her vision for Michigan Tech all combined to make her an excellent candidate."

Lovett-Doust expressed excitement about her move to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and her new challenges at Michigan Tech. "You had me at hello!" she said with a laugh. "The eagerness and enthusiasm of the members of the Provost Search Committee and everyone I met readily persuaded me that a career at MTU would be fun and challenging. The commitment to teamwork at all levels is particularly attractive; I look forward to making a difference, to building, with this talented community of faculty, staff, students and administrators, a permanent place for MTU among the top universities in the country.

"For my husband Jon and I, the move to Houghton is, of course, a move south! I am sure our three sons will enjoy the ski slopes and golf course and will be equally excited by the opportunities for learning in Houghton!'

Lovett-Doust is scheduled to start at Michigan Tech on August 20.

Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.