Ball State University Announces New Provost
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Ball State University has announced its next provost will come from Oregon State University, after originally hailing from El Salvador. IPR’s Stephanie Wiechmann reports.
Susana Rivera-Mills will be the Muncie university’s chief academic officer beginning July 1.
She’s a native of El Salvador who says she only learned to speak English after coming to the United States as a young girl.
Rivera-Mills holds degrees from the University of Iowa and the University of New Mexico. She’s currently vice provost for academic programs and learning innovation at Oregon State University.
In a statement, Ball State president Geoffrey Mearns says he was inspired by Rivera-Mills’ experience as an immigrant and a first-generation college student. He also praised her passion for community engagement.
This will be Ball State’s first non-interim or non-acting provost since 2016.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated Rivera-Mills’ current title at Oregon State University. We regret the error.