Deadline Extended for Feedback on Vice Provost for Graduate Studies Candidates


Office of the Provost
Friday, Dec. 13, 2019, 11:23 a.m.
KU Lawrence All Staff Faculty and Affiliates,Graduate Students

The deadline for the KU community to provide feedback on the three candidates for vice provost for graduate studies has been extended to 5 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 16.

Members of the campus community are invited to review video recordings of the candidate presentations and submit evaluations by visiting the vice provost for graduate studies search page.

The three candidates are:

Jennifer A. Roberts
professor and chair of geology

Byron Santangelo
professor of English, jointly appointed in environmental studies

Hossein Saiedian 
professor and associate chair of electrical engineering and computer science

The vice provost for graduate studies will provide leadership and administrative direction in graduate education on the Lawrence and Edwards campuses. The vice provost, who reports to the provost, will have immediate responsibility for advancing the scope, quality and national reputation of all graduate degree programs at KU.

For their presentations at the open forum, the candidates addressed the theme “What you see as the key challenges, priorities, and opportunities for the future of graduate education at KU.”

About the Candidates

Jennifer A. Roberts is professor and chair of the Department of Geology. She joined the University of Kansas in 2001 after completing a post-doctoral position at the U.S. Geological Survey in Boulder, Colo. Her research interests include microbial geochemistry, geomicrobiology and hydrochemistry; the role of microorganisms in mineral weathering reaction; carbon transformation and sequestration and more. She is a member of the 2012-2013 cohort of Senior Administrative Fellows. In 2013 she was recognized with the Kathleen McClusky-Fawcett Women Mentoring Women Award from the Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity. This year she received the Professional Excellence Award from the Association for Women in Geoscience. Roberts earned a bachelor’s degree in geology from Trinity University and a doctorate in geological sciences from the University of Texas at Austin.

Byron Santangelo is a professor of English with a joint appointment in environmental studies. He joined the university in 1997 and his research interests include 20th- and 21st-century African literature, environmental humanities, postcolonial theory, climate change and migration. He is a prolific author having written numerous articles and chapters as well as three books. His most recent book is “Different Shades of Green: African Literature, Environmental Justice, and Political Ecology.” This work was recognized as Choice Outstanding Academic Title by the American Library Association in 2015. His awards include a W.T. Kemper Fellowship for Excellence in Teaching in 2009 and the Louise Byrd Graduate Educator Award in 2007. Santangelo earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Claremont McKenna College and a master’s and doctorate in English from the University of California, Irvine.

Hossein Saiedian joined the university in 2000 and is professor and associate chair of the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. He also serves as director of information technology graduate programs. His research focuses on software architecture, formal methods in software engineering, cybersecurity and information assurance, secure software engineering, and more. He has been involved in University Governance and has served on a number of Edwards Campus councils and task forces. He is a prolific author, having written over a dozen book chapters and more than 75 journal articles. In 2008 he was selected to receive the W.T. Kemper Fellowship. He is a member of the 2014-2015 cohort of Senior Administrative Fellows and is a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Faculty Fellow. Saiedian has a bachelor’s degree in information systems and a master’s in mathematics and computer science both from Emporia State University. He has a doctorate in computer science from Kansas State University.