Two Women Provosts Who Are Giving Up Their Posts to Return to Full-Time Faculty Positions

Marie Lynn Miranda, the Charles and Jill Fischer Provost of the University of Notre Dame, is stepping aside as provost. She became provost on July 1, 2020. Dr. Miranda will remain a tenured member of the faculty at the university. Dr. Miranda is a distinguished scholar in the field of children’s environmental health.

In a statement to the campus community, Dr. Miranda said that “the past 20 months have been so very difficult around the world, especially for those most vulnerable. As I suspect is true for many of you, the pandemic has prompted me to reflect on how I want to engage in building a post-pandemic world. I find myself compelled to work more directly on the issues about which I am most passionate.”

A professor of statistics at Rice University in Houston, Texas, Dr. Miranda was the university’s Howard R. Hughes Provost from 2015 to 2019. She stepped down from her administrative post due to a family illness. Before accepting the appointment at Rice, Miranda served for four years on the faculty of the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment, where she also served as the Samuel A. Graham Dean of the school. Professor Miranda also held appointments in the department of pediatrics and the department of obstetrics and gynecology. Earlier, she taught at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, for 21 years.

Dr. Miranda is a graduate of Duke University, where she double majored in mathematics and economics. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University.

Florida State University provost and executive vice president for academic affairs Sally McRorie is stepping down as an administrator and returning to the faculty. She has been provost since 2015.  Previously, Dr. McRorie was vice president for faculty development and advancement at the university. She arrived at Florida State in 1994 from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, where she was chair of the department of art and design. Earlier this year, Dr. McRorie was appointed president of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. She will serve a three-year term as president.

“I came to FSU because of its national strengths in the arts, thinking I would be here for a few years. Instead, I fell in love with the university, its wonderful faculty and programs all across campus, and most importantly, its intense focus on student success,” Dr. McRorie said. “My years here have provided very fulfilling opportunities to help our students, faculty, and staff become even more successful and widely recognized. I am grateful for the opportunities to hire amazing faculty and deans and build my remarkable team in the Office of the Provost. Having won some teaching awards way back when, I look forward to returning to the faculty and the rewarding roles of teacher and advisor.

Dr. McRorie earned a master’s degree from East Tennessee State University and a doctorate in art education from the University of Kansas.