UCA names Poulter academic affairs provost

CONWAY — The University of Central Arkansas said Wednesday it has chosen an educator from Georgia for its next provost, the school’s chief academic officer.

Patricia S. Poulter will begin as provost and executive vice president of academic affairs on July 1.

Poulter, 59, will make $ 215,000 annually, UCA spokesman Christina Munoz Madsen said.

Poulter moves to UCA from Kennesaw State University in Georgia, where she is dean of the College of Arts, according to a UCA news release. Houston Davis, UCA’s president since January 2017, was previously interim president of Kennesaw State University.

Poulter will report directly to Davis and will oversee UCA’s six colleges, the graduate school, the Schedler Honors College and the University College, the release said. “She will also develop a strategic direction and supervise activities that support and advance UCA’s mission,” it added.

Poulter’s hiring follows a search that began last fall. She was one of 58 applicants, the university said.

She will succeed Michael Hargis, who has served as interim provost since July 2017. Hargis succeeded Steven Runge, who returned to a faculty position in the biology department at the request of Davis.

In February and early March, the top four applicants, including Poulter, visited UCA where they met with staff and faculty members, students and executives.

“Poulter was the most supported candidate among the committee members in the semi-finalists stage and the candidate who received the most positive evaluations from the campus community,” the news release said.