UNR NEWS RELEASE
Kevin Carman has been named executive vice president and provost for the University of Nevada, Reno. The dean of the College of Science at Louisiana State University will begin in the provost role on Feb. 1, 2013.
“Kevin brings an impressive breadth of experience, and it is apparent that he shares our aspirations for further enhancing the mission and role of our University,” said Marc Johnson, University president. “I am confident that Kevin’s dedication to the values of academic freedom and shared governance, his experience in fostering an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach to teaching, research and outreach, as well as the array of experiences he has had in his professional career, will serve our University well.”
“I am humbled and honored by this opportunity to join the University of Nevada, Reno family and to be a member of President Johnson’s leadership team,” said Carman. “While the University has clearly gone through a challenging period over the past few years, I am impressed by the palpable optimism and deep sense of commitment that is evident among the faculty, staff, administration and students.
“UNR is a great institution with a wonderful legacy, and I am excited to be part of what I see as a very bright future,” said Carman.
At LSU, Carman established a Science Residential College for entering freshmen, a concept similar to the successful living-learning communities at the University of Nevada, Reno. Carman also established academic-orientation programs to increase the academic performance and success rates of entering freshmen who plan to pursue degrees in science. These “boot camps” were initially implemented for biological science majors and have been nationally recognized and replicated at many other universities. Carman has also received numerous citations for outstanding teaching.
“Kevin’s focus on enhancing the student experience and student success strongly aligns with the commitment and direction we have set here in Nevada,” said Johnson.
Carman was named interim dean of LSU’s College of Science in 2004 and was named dean in 2005. He has served in numerous leadership roles for regional, university and statewide higher-education and research-based initiatives. At the national level, he serves on the Education Committee of the American Institute for Biological Sciences, and he previously served as LSU’s representative on the Council of Environmental Deans and Directors, affiliated with the National Council for Science and the Environment.
Carman’s research interests are in the area of marine ecology and ecotoxicology. He serves on the editorial board of International Scholarly Research Network Oceanography and previously served as subject editor for Aquatic Microbial Ecology. Carman is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
The provost is often described as the University’s chief academic officer. Carman will oversee the University’s academic and outreach programming, which includes the University’s six colleges, Division of Health Sciences, Division of Extended Studies and University of Nevada Cooperative Extension.
“Kevin’s career demonstrates success and leadership capability across the span of teaching, research and administration,” said Johnson. “With this balanced record of success, he is well qualified to collaborate with our colleges and faculty to elevate the quality of our academic programming and increase our research capacity.”
Carman earned his undergraduate degree in biology from McPherson College in 1982. He earned master’s and doctoral degrees in biological oceanography from Florida State University in 1984 and 1989.
The appointment of Carman as provost follows an extensive process that included open forum interviews with University faculty and staff members.
