After three decades of teaching, research and service at WVU, Associate Provost for Graduate Academic Affairs Richard Thomas has announced his retirement from the University, effective June 30.
An internal search for his replacement will begin immediately.
With oversight of the WVU Office of Graduate Education and Life since 2020, Thomas has provided leadership for graduate education across the University and continued support for students. He improved the organizational structure of the Office, with a focus on graduate education policy development and implementation and student resource enhancements.
“Dr. Thomas has served our campus as a respected leader, teacher and mentor for 30 years,” Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Paul Kreider said. “His service-oriented approach to leadership has brought significant improvements to graduate education and life at WVU. Always an advocate for the University’s students, he successfully increased graduate stipends, provided greater mental health care and wellness for graduate students, and created an ombudsman position specifically devoted to serving graduate and professional students.”
Thomas joined the WVU faculty in 1995 as an assistant professor in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences’ Department of Biology, where he was later promoted to associate professor in 2000 and then professor in 2006. In 2007, Thomas took on a leadership role in the department, serving as associate chair for two years and then department chair for 11 years.
Under his leadership, the Department of Biology experienced significant student enrollment growth, strategic faculty recruitment efforts and the implementation of several mentoring and faculty-friendly policies to promote work-life balance. Thomas also played an instrumental role in increasing the department’s outreach and fundraising efforts, as well as infrastructure and curricular expansions.
Thomas was tapped by the Office of the Provost in 2019 to serve on the Graduate Education Task Force, which was tasked with re-envisioning graduate education at the University. He was named interim and then associate provost for graduate academic affairs in 2020 and 2022, respectively.
Thomas’ research on forest ecosystems, global environmental change and carbon cycling spans 35 years and has led to more than 65 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. His most recent research has focused on the productivity of high elevation forests in West Virginia, ecosystems whose health are highly susceptible to changes in the climate and environment. Thomas’ work has been highlighted by the National Science Foundation, National Geographic, NBC News and The New York Times, and he has presented his research to audiences around the globe, including China, New Zealand, Austria, Italy and multiple locations across the U.S. Findings from his research are providing information for atmospheric scientists, ecologists, and policy analysts on the role of forest ecosystems in the global carbon cycle as the Earth’s climate continues to change over the next century. He was named the Eberly College’s Outstanding Researcher of the Year in 2001.
The Office of the Provost has launched an internal search for a new associate provost for graduate academic affairs. The position description can be found on the WVU Hire website.
Associate Provost for Faculty Development and Culture Melissa Latimer is serving as chair of the search committee.
Questions about the position or the search process can be directed to Melissa.Latimer@mail.wvu.edu.
Details around a retirement reception for Thomas will be announced at a later date.