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By Kelsey Kendall

Four faculty members from 91��Ƭ��, three from the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies and one from Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at 91��Ƭ��, were named Provost’s Fellows for 2024-25.

The Provost’s Fellows support the University by sharing their expertise to help enhance efforts and strategies in specific areas, working with administration to gain a broad view of the current higher education issues. This year, the areas are communications, academic success and – for the first time – 91��Ƭ��/EVMS integration efforts.

This year’s fellows are as follows:

• Provost’s Fellow for Communications – Elizabeth Burns, associate professor in the Department of STEM Education and Professional Studies
• Provost’s Fellow for Academic Success – Tony Perez, associate professor in the Department of STEM Education and Professional Studies
• Provost’s Fellow for 91��Ƭ��/EVMS Integration Efforts – Dennis Gregory, associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Workforce Development; Dr. Alireza Hosseini, associate professor at Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at 91��Ƭ��

Hosseini and Gregory will work together as Provost’s Fellows for 91��Ƭ��/EVMS Integration alongside Chief Integration Officer Austin Agho.

“I am pleased to work with Drs. Alireza Hosseini and Dennis Gregory as we move forward with the 91��Ƭ��-EVMS integration this coming year,” Agho said. “Their experience and knowledge of the role of faculty in shared governance will help guide and facilitate the revisions and updates of faculty appointment, promotion and tenure policies and procedures."

The University and Eastern Virginia Medical School officially integrated July 1, bringing more than 2,100 employees and 1,440 students from the medical school to become Monarchs. Now that they have, it is time to work through policies and procedures to ensure the two institutions can be incorporated to serve the entire University community – a task that Hosseini and Gregory will help with.

Both have been involved in their institutions respective faculty senates, being a part of the work that goes into policy- and procedure-making. Faculty and staff have had questions surrounding policies on tenure, promotion and other matters that effect their jobs day-to-day, so Hosseini said one of the goals is to move forward this year to find answers that satisfy both sides.

“I want to make sure this transition is as seamless as possible and, potentially, we open new doors – not just becoming 91��Ƭ�� faculty but bringing some different mentalities that’s going to help the bigger institution look for new goals and new horizons,” said Hosseini, who was at the medical school for 21 years before integration.

Hosseini teaches in the EVMS School of Health Professions and has instructed pharmacology courses and serves as an administrator, working with his colleagues to ensure things are running smoothly.  

Gregory, who has worked at the University for 24 years and has half a century of experience in higher education as an administrator and professor, was a Provost’s Fellow from 2018-19 and worked on freedom of expression and academic freedom projects. Even with his years of experience, this integration is new to him and he perceives it to be an exciting challenge to learn how the medical school operates and what the staff does.

 “We’ve heard a lot about how this is going to improve healthcare for all citizens in Hampton Roads. I think that is one very important goal,” Gregory said. “The second goal is how do we use the structures that are already in place in both EVMS and 91��Ƭ�� to make the university a stronger institution?”

Besides Hosseini, the Provost’s Fellows teach and do research within the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies, a fact about which Dean Tammi Dice is proud.

“Their passion and expertise will undoubtedly lead to significant advancements within our university community,” Dice said. “Their leadership exemplifies the spirit of innovation and dedication that defines the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies.”

As the communications fellow, Burns will work with the Office of Academic Affairs to ensure clear, effective interactions between the office and the rest of the campus community. Burns has worked at the University for about a decade.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to work with the Office of Academic Affairs to enhance our communication efforts,” Burns said. “My goal during this experience is to facilitate improved regular communication as well as develop a system to access prior messaging. This is a chance to contribute my experience and expertise to the University alongside our leadership and see how we can enhance and streamline how we communicate opportunities and priorities with the campus community.”

Perez, as the Provost’s Fellow for Academic Success, will work with senior leadership to identify where the University can develop strategies for academic success. For the last decade, Perez has conducted research on student achievement and persistence, particularly for students in STEM disciplines. Recently, he has been looking at expanding his reach to all students, and this is the opportunity to do so.

“There are challenges that students at 91��Ƭ�� face – if not all institutions – and I’m excited about putting my money where my mouth is, so to speak and applying the theoretical and empirical knowledge that I have and the research I’ve done on interventions and other things to a very practical setting,” Perez said.

The fellows’ term is for the upcoming year, with the possibility of a second-year extension, and they will have the opportunity to get involved with the administration, sharing their expertise and experience while also seeing firsthand some of the broader issues impacting higher education and academic administration.