University of Arizona aligns all colleges under the Office of the Provost
April 30, 2025
The University of Arizona is advancing a unified academic structure that brings all of the university's colleges together under the leadership of the Office of the Provost. This strategic enhancement supports consistent academic standards, deeper cross-college collaboration and a more seamless experience for students, faculty and staff across disciplines.
"As we prepare to welcome our incoming provost, Patricia Prelock, her experience as a clinician and health college leader will enable alignment throughout the university's academic enterprise," said U of A President Suresh Garimella. "I look forward to working with her and our health sciences deans and other leaders to coordinate and align efforts for a more consistent university experience for students in every college."
Effective today, deans of the university's health sciences colleges will transition to report to the university's provost.
- College of Medicine – Phoenix
- College of Medicine – Tucson
- R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy
- College of Nursing
- Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health. This college will include the new School of Health Professions and Global Medicine, effective July 1.
Academic programs, course offerings, faculty shared governance, and promotion and tenure processes will remain unchanged.
As part of this transition, Dr. Michael D. Dake has stepped away from his responsibilities as senior vice president for health sciences following seven years of transformative leadership.
"I am deeply proud of what we have accomplished as a community," Dr. Dake wrote in a message to his health sciences colleagues. "Together, we have strengthened the integration of education, research, clinical care and service across our colleges. We have worked collaboratively to expand our impact, improve lives in Arizona and beyond, and solidify the university's position as a leader in health innovation and biomedical research."
An internationally recognized physician, scientist and educator, Dake made medical history with the world's first implantation of a thoracic stent-graft. His innovations in vascular imaging and interventional therapy have shaped the standard of care for aortic aneurysms and related conditions. At the U of A, he helped integrate education, research and clinical care across the university's health sciences colleges while expanding the university's partnership with Banner Health. His senior vice president position will not be replaced.
"We are grateful for the dedicated service Dr. Dake has provided to the University of Arizona," said Garimella. "As we look to the future of health sciences for our university, his leadership has created a foundation of excellence for the tri-part mission of education, research and clinical care."
To ensure continuity across academic and research operations, Dr. Jennifer Barton, director of the BIO5 Institute, will serve as interim vice provost for health programs, providing leadership for health sciences research and administration. An interim director for the BIO5 Institute will be named.
Integrating the university's health sciences colleges so that all U of A academic units working together in a newly unified structure will further enhance the distinctive clinical mission of the health sciences colleges by enabling connections with colleagues throughout campus. Faculty, staff and students will continue to drive breakthroughs in critical health challenges, including precision medicine, cancer research, pain and addiction, compassionate care delivery, pandemic preparedness, rural health and efforts that position the U of A as a health leader for the state and beyond.
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Media contact:
Mitch Zak
University Communications
916-612-0979
mitchzak@arizona.edu
Established in 1885, the University of Arizona is the state's flagship, land-grant institution. The U of A ranks among America's top institutions, focusing on student access and success while driving a $1 billion research enterprise and engaging communities throughout the state, nation and world. As a leading Research 1 institution and member of the Association of American Universities, the U of A advances the frontiers of interdisciplinary scholarship and entrepreneurial partnerships. With two accredited medical schools, designation as a Hispanic-Serving Institution by the U.S. Department of Education, recognition as a premier university for service members, distinguished programs in management information systems, planetary sciences, dance, photography, and public and applied humanities, the U of A offers the world to its students while uplifting Arizona.