Diane Stearns Named Provost at Northern Arizona University

Diane Stearns has been named provost at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. She is the fourth person to hold the position within four years.

Northern Arizona University enrolls more than 27,000 undergraduate students and nearly 4,000 graduate students , according to the latest data supplied to the U.S. Department of Education. Women make up 60 percent of the undergraduate student body.

Dr. Stearns joined the faculty at Northern Arizona University in 1993 as an assistant professor of chemistry. Over the years, she worked her way up to the rank of full professor before transitioning to associate vice president for research. Currently, she serves as interim dean of the College of Engineering, Informatics, and Applied Sciences.

“NAU is my home, NAU is my family. I recognize all the complexities and obstacles we face and I feel like, because this is my institution, I can contribute right away because I understand exactly what I’m getting into,” said Dr. Stearns.

Dr. Stearns is a graduate of Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, where she majored in chemistry. She holds a Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley.