Mary Ann Rankin Named Provost at the University of Maryland

Mary Ann Rankin will be the new provost and senior vice president at the University of Maryland, effective October 1. She is currently the chief executive officer of the National Math and Science Initiative. Before taking on that role last year, she had served as dean of the College of Natural Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin for nearly 17 years. During her tenure as dean, she oversaw the hiring that doubled the number of women science faculty and the establishment of gender parity in salaries.

At the University of Texas, Dr. Rankin was also a professor of zoology. Her research lab studies the physiological basis of insect reproduction and migration, focusing on economically important herbivores.

A native of Indiana, Dr. Rankin is a graduate of Louisiana State University. She earned a Ph.D. in physiology and behavior from the University of Iowa.