Two State Universities Appoint Women to Provost Positions

Jeanette Mendez was appointed provost and senior vice president at Oklahoma State University. She has been serving as interim provost since January 2021. Dr. Mendez has been a faculty member in political science since 2005.

“OSU needs to further advance its reputation as an academic powerhouse, focusing on providing a top-tier education and solving society’s most pressing needs through research and extension,” Dr. Mendez said. “As provost, I will help lead OSU to be a premier, modern land-grant institution marked by a commitment to excellence in research, innovative teaching and activities that extend these efforts to the broader communities of Oklahoma, the nation, and the world.”

A first-generation college student, Dr. Mendez graduated from Santa Clara University in California in 1998, receiving a bachelor’s degree in combined sciences. She earned a master’s degree in political science in 2000 and a Ph.D. in political science in 2003 at Indiana University.

Diana Hess is the new interim provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She has been serving as dean of the School of Education and Karen A. Falk Distinguished Chair of Education.

Dr.  Hess, a professor of curriculum and instruction, is an internationally recognized scholar who was elected to the National Academy of Education in 2019. She has served as dean of the School of Education since 2015. Immediately prior to assuming the deanship, Dr. Hess served as senior vice president of the Spencer Foundation.

Professor Hess is a graduate of Western Illinois University. She earned a master’s degree from the University of Illinois and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction at the University of Washington.