The office of Texas A&M President Michael K. Young announced the departure of Executive Vice President and Provost Carol Fierke after three years of work for the university.
The news was announced in a Nov. 30 message on the Office of the President website. Fierke will conclude her time at A&M on Dec. 31 and will be joining the staff at Brandeis University in the same position. Brandeis University announced Fierke’s move on its website on Nov. 30.
“As provost at Brandeis, Fierke will serve as the university’s chief academic officer, responsible for teaching, learning, scholarship and research across the university,” the website read. “She will have broad oversight of the many dimensions of academic life, and will lead institutional priority setting related to Brandeis’ Framework for the Future.”
Young mentioned some of her major accomplishments with the university, especially in regard to new protocols put in place to slow the spread of COVID-19.
“While Provost Fierke, in her usual manner, would prefer no fanfare, I cannot let the moment pass without thanking her profusely for her tremendous leadership and success since her arrival three years ago, culminating in this year’s outstanding response to COVID-19 that helped our university continue to forge ahead with in-person classes as well as remote learning and extensive safety protocols,” Young said.
Young showed his appreciation for Fierke in the message, and mentioned several of Fierke’s accomplishments such as starting the Student Success Initiative, hiring tenured teaching staff, working for diversity and inclusion on campus and her work with graduate programs.
“I thank Provost Fierke for her continual display of the Aggie core values of respect, excellence, leadership, loyalty, integrity and selfless service,” Young said. “An interim provost will soon be announced.”
Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs of the College of Engineering Mark Weichold was announced as the interim provost in an email from regents professor and interim President of A&M, John Junkins. Junkins said in the email that Weichold’s past services to the university make him ideal for the interim position.
“The months ahead will involve continued service to our core educational mission, navigating COVID-19 recovery and operations, make-up commencement ceremonies this spring for May and August 2020 missed commencements, as well as the May 2021 commencement,” the email read.