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Dean, psychology professor to join Provost’s Office

Tracy Morris

Tracy Morris, a professor of psychology and current dean of the WVU College of Education and Human Services, will soon join the Office of the Provost as West Virginia University’s new associate provost for academic personnel. She was selected through an internal, University-wide search process.

Morris joined the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Department of Psychology faculty in 1993 and has more than a decade of administrative experience at WVU. In 2018, she was named interim dean of the College of Education and Human Services and later given an additional two-year appointment as dean through June 2022. Most recently, she has been integral in efforts leading up to the creation of the new College of Applied Human Sciences.

“We are thrilled that Dr. Morris will be joining our office to oversee the University’s promotion and tenure and academic hiring processes,” Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Maryanne Reed said. “As a highly respected and proven academic leader, Dr. Morris has extensive experience in each of these areas. She also brings to the position expertise in leadership development, which continues to be an important area of focus for the University.”

Morris has a distinguished record of research, teaching and service and has been recognized for her contributions in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences. She was named an Eberly Distinguished Professor for both Leadership Development and Outstanding Teaching and received WVU’s Benedum Distinguished Scholar Award.

In addition to her teaching, she also served the Eberly College as chair of the Department of Psychology; interim director of the School of Social Work; associate dean for research, graduate studies and outreach; and senior advisor for leadership development and special initiatives. Morris’ leadership experience spurred a scholarship focus on leadership development, including conducting a national longitudinal investigation of the background and experiences of academic administrators, the development of protocols and feedback systems for department chairs, and the delivery of training sessions for the WVU Women’s Leadership Initiative.

In her new role as associate provost, Morris will oversee the promotion and tenure process for the entire University, including Health Sciences, and will be responsible for processes relating to sabbatical leaves, salary enhancements, and grievances. She will also develop and support leadership development efforts across the main and regional campuses.

“I am honored to be joining the wonderful team of dedicated individuals in the Office of the Provost and excited to be able to continue to serve the University in this new capacity,” Morris said.

Morris begins her new role on July 1, 2022. She succeeds Presha Neidermeyer who held the position for two years before returning to her faculty position in the John Chambers College of Business and Economics.