Metropolitan State University has named Dr. Amy Gort as the new Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs. She will start at Metropolitan State on Monday, July 3.
Amy S. Gort
The announcement was made to the university faculty, staff and student body early Monday, May 8. As provost, Gort will be responsible for providing vision and strategic direction for the university’s development and delivery of academic programs and for leading the academic and student affairs division. She will also serve on the President’s Executive Council and the President’s Cabinet.
Gort served as dean of Arts and Sciences at Augsburg College since 2009. She had previously served as dean of Arts and Sciences and professor of Biology at Concordia University, Saint Paul. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Her passion for teaching was evident during her scientific training as she sought out opportunities as a teaching assistant, research mentor, and adjunct faculty member. She is experienced and well-versed in strategic enrollment planning, determining budgets for new academic programs, and prioritizing resources to encourage enrollment growth. She has developed collaborative relationships with local community colleges to strengthen articulation agreements, contribute to customized transfer student curriculum plans.
“Our search for a provost and executive vice president was nationwide in scope and attracted a strong pool of applicants. During and after the finalists’ campus visits, faculty, staff, and students generously shared their reflections on the candidates,” President Virginia “Ginny” Arthur wrote in an announcement to the university community. “There was a clear consensus that Dr. Gort’s outstanding academic experience, passion for student access and success, and affinity for our urban mission and communities make her an outstanding candidate for this critical role in our shared work.”
Search committee members included:
- Marcia Hagen, professor, College of Management
- Nantawan Lewis, professor of religious studies, College of Liberal Arts
- Julie Maxson, associate professor, College of Sciences
- Brenda Merrill, associate professor, College of Nursing and Health Sciences
- Alec Sonsteby, associate professor, Library Services
- Charles Tedder, associate professor, College of Individualized Studies
- Craig Hansen, representing the academic deans
- Joe Rockers, MSUAASF representative
- Kate Southwick, MSUAASF representative
- Dina Inderlee, MMA representative
- Chris Gevara, AFSCME representative
- Patty McCann, providing support
Dr. Gort will assume the position currently held by Dr. Carol Bormann Young, professor of management, who was appointed interim provost in May 2016. Bormann Young accepted the interim position after Arthur, who was provost at the time, was named president last spring.