Two Women Scholars Who Have Been Appointed to University Provost Positions

Katherine Baicker, the Emmett Dedmon Professor and dean of the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago, has been appointed the next provost of the university, effective March 20. Prior to coming to the University of Chicago, she was the C. Boyden Gray Professor of Health Economics in the department of health policy and management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, with a dual appointment at the Harvard Kennedy School.

“I am deeply honored to be asked to serve the University of Chicago as provost,” Dr. Baicker said. “I look forward to working in partnership with President Alivisatos and the entire UChicago community as we continue to honor our core institutional values, uphold our traditions of free and open inquiry, and invest in training new generations of leaders, pursuing rigorous scholarship, and engaging communities near and far.”

A leading expert in the economic analysis of health policy, Dr. Baicker focuses her scholarship on public and private health insurance, including examining its distribution and effectiveness. She earned her bachelor’s degree in economics from Yale University and her Ph.D. in economics from Harvard University.

Dimetri Horner is the new provost and vice president of academic affairs at Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis. Dr. Horner most recently served as associate vice provost of academics at Strayer University.

“I look forward to the ways in which we will enhance scholarship and innovation to positively impact the academic experiences of our students and benefit the community we serve,” Dr. Horner said. “Harris-Stowe’s rich history is energizing, and our potential as a university is endless. I am inspired by the university’s future.”

Dr. Horner earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a master’s degree in secondary education from the University of Southern Mississippi, a master’s degree in education innovation and technology from Capella University, and a doctorate in educational leadership from Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia.