Carman Begins Full Time June 7 as UW Provost/Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

After working half time for several weeks amid a move to the University of Wyoming, new UW Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs Kevin Carman starts full time Monday, June 7, in the university’s second-ranking leadership position.

Carman, whose appointment was approved March 10 by the UW Board of Trustees upon the recommendation of President Ed Seidel, comes to UW from the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR), where he led academic and research improvements as the executive vice president and provost from 2013-2020.

“The University of Wyoming is a wonderful and unique institution with tremendous potential,” Carman says. “I am honored to join the UW leadership team and eager to engage with faculty, students, staff and stakeholders throughout Wyoming in realizing the ambitious and exciting vision that President Seidel has articulated.”

Carman has been engaged for several weeks with members of the UW community, meeting electronically and in person, even as he and his spouse, Dr. Susan Welsh, make their move to Laramie. He has been working with former Interim Provost Anne Alexander on the transition, coming up to speed on myriad issues, including academic program reviews and strategic scenario planning.

Carman has appointed Alexander as vice provost for strategic planning and initiatives, a two-year role in which she’ll lead the development of a new UW strategic plan; launch a new data-driven advising platform; lead the development of and launch comprehensive “boot camps” for freshmen and transfer students; and other efforts.

“Dr. Alexander is an extraordinarily talented administrator, and she is deeply committed to UW,” Carman says. “She has been instrumental in making my transition to UW as seamless as possible, and I am very grateful that she agreed to serve in this critically important position.”

During his eight-year leadership tenure at UNR, when the university experienced significant enrollment growth, Carman oversaw the university’s eight academic colleges and schools, the Graduate School, the Division of Extended Studies and University Libraries. He also had responsibility for the Office of Information Technology.

His accomplishments include establishing five-day academic “boot camps” for incoming freshmen that improved retention and degree completion; leading a comprehensive revision of the undergraduate core curriculum; launching several online master’s degree programs; and leading a collaborative process to update the university’s comprehensive master plan and strategic plan that included goals of being recognized as a Carnegie R1 University as well as a Carnegie Community Engaged University. UNR’s goal of achieving R1 status was realized in 2018, and UNR’s application for the Community Engaged designation was approved in 2019.

“Dr. Carman is uniquely qualified to address many of the circumstances and challenges that UW faces at this point in our history,” Seidel says. “His extensive leadership experience and accomplishments, coupled with a proven record as an innovative leader committed to an interdisciplinary and collaborative approach across the spectrum of academic affairs at land-grant institutions, will benefit all areas of our university.”

Carman was a faculty member at Louisiana State University (LSU) in the Department of Biological Sciences for 24 years. He served as interim dean and then dean of the LSU College of Science for nine years before his move to UNR.

He earned his undergraduate degree in biology from McPherson College in 1982, and he received master’s and doctoral degrees in biological oceanography from Florida State University in 1984 and 1989.