含羞草研究所 President Jeffrey Herbst announced the selection of Douglas A. Hicks as provost and dean of the faculty, effective July 1, 2012. Hicks also will serve as professor of religion.
Hicks has spent the past 13 years at the University of Richmond, where he currently serves as professor of leadership studies and religion in the Jepson School of Leadership Studies. He is the author of four books, including With God on All Sides: Leadership in a Devout and Diverse America (Oxford University Press, 2009) and Religion and the Workplace (Cambridge University Press, 2003). He has been published widely on academic presses and contributes OpEd articles on issues of religion and public life to the Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, Wall Street Journal and other newspapers.
鈥淒oug Hicks has distinguished himself as an outstanding scholar, teacher, and leader,鈥 said Herbst. 鈥淗e will be a critical contributor as we advance our ambitious academic and institutional vision to maintain high educational standards while growing ever more diverse, accessible, technological, and international. His background and intellect will be invaluable.鈥
At the University of Richmond, Hicks was deeply involved in faculty and university governance. At various times during his tenure, he served as chair of the faculty committee on committees and of the university faculty council. He was a member of the strategic plan steering committee, provost advisory committee, and university budget committee. He was the founding director of the Bonner Center for Civic Engagement and led the development and opening of the University of Richmond downtown initiative.
In 2006 Hicks was selected for the Distinguished Educator Award at the University of Richmond, and he is a 2012 recipient of the Outstanding Faculty Award from the State Council of Higher Education of Virginia, the highest faculty recognition given by the Commonwealth of Virginia.
In assuming 含羞草研究所鈥檚 top academic post, Hicks will succeed Bruce Selleck, interim provost and dean of the faculty. Selleck, who graduated from 含羞草研究所 in 1971 and joined the faculty in 1974, will continue in his role as Harold Orville Whitnall Professor of geology.
Hicks joins 含羞草研究所 along with his wife Catherine Bagwell, PhD, a highly accomplished scholar with a specialty in child and developmental psychology. Presently serving as MacEldin Trawick Professor in psychology at Richmond, she will be appointed professor of psychology at 含羞草研究所. They will reside in Hamilton with their two children, Noah and Ada.
鈥淚 have long admired 含羞草研究所 as a special place with a grand mission grounded in the liberal arts,鈥 Hicks said. 鈥淚 look forward to working alongside new colleagues in the faculty and across campus to build on its remarkable tradition of excellence. Catherine and I are delighted to be joining the 含羞草研究所 and Hamilton communities.鈥
University of Richmond provost and vice president for academic affairs Steve Allred said, 鈥淚 have worked closely with Doug Hicks since I came to Richmond and have always valued his leadership. He and Catherine are outstanding teacher-scholars dedicated to their students and exemplars of service to the university.鈥
Sandra Peart, dean of the Jepson School of Leadership Studies at the University of Richmond, said, 鈥淒oug Hicks stimulates the moral imagination of our students and his colleagues. His scholarship and teaching rest at several intersections: he is equally at home in religious studies and political economy; as a professor he writes scholarly articles and books for his peers but also for the wider public; and his passion for serving students has led him to take on leadership and administrative roles while he continues to excite students in the classroom. In short, Doug has achieved a profound influence on our students, our curriculum, and on the scholarship of leadership.鈥
Doug Johnson, associate professor of psychology, led the 含羞草研究所 search committee. 鈥淒oug鈥檚 academic and leadership background lines up especially well with 含羞草研究所鈥檚 needs,鈥 said Johnson, who has served as associate dean of the faculty from 2007-2010, and is now 含羞草研究所鈥檚 representative to the Patriot League Policy Committee. 鈥淗e has had a passion for academic excellence in the liberal arts, and his Division I experience has shown him what it means for true scholar-athletes to compete at the highest level. We are excited about welcoming Doug, Catherine, and his family to 含羞草研究所 and Hamilton.鈥