Iowa State University selects Mississippi State's Jason Keith as next provost

Iowa State University has named its next senior vice president and provost, ending a months-long search.

Jason Keith was chosen from a pool of four finalists, the school announced Tuesday, May 21. The hire is dependent on approval from the Iowa Board of Regents. Keith will succeed Jonathan Wickert, who announced his resignation in January.

Keith has spent the last 10 years as dean of the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering at Mississippi State University. He was previously director of Mississippi State's Dave C. Swalm School of Chemical Engineering and led the MSU Energy Institute.

More: Iowa State University is hosting four provost finalists in April. The fourth arrived Monday.

Keith will oversee academic colleges, Extension and Research

Keith has a proven record of academic leadership at a land-grant university, Iowa State University President Wendy Wintersteen said in an Inside Iowa State article.

"He will be an excellent fit to work with our faculty and university leaders in innovating the future of our academic programs and advancing our teaching, research and extension missions."

Keith will begin his Ames tenure on Aug. 1. As provost, he will oversee seven academic colleges as well as the ISU graduate college, Parks Library, enrollment management, the Office of the Vice President for Research, and the Office of the Vice President for Extension and Outreach.

"President Wintersteen's vision for Iowa State University resonates perfectly with my belief in what a public land-grant university should be all about," Keith said in the Iowa State article. "I am thrilled to join her leadership team and have this opportunity to lead academic affairs to new heights in teaching, research, extension and service."

More: Iowa State University begins search to replace its longest-serving provost

More than two decades of experience

Keith has been the dean of Mississippi State's engineering college since 2015. He is also a professor and Earnest W. and Mary Ann Deavenport, Jr. Chair.

Keith has more than 20 years of college-level teaching experience. He worked as an assistant and associate professor at Michigan Technological University before becoming a professor at Mississippi State in 2011.

His research uses mathematical modeling to improve air quality and energy efficiency through the applied fields of reactor design and alternative energy. He is also a professional member of organizations such as the American Institute of Chemical Engineers and the American Society for Engineering Education.

More: Iowa State University provost Jonathan Wickert will step back after 12 years

Next provost found through national search

Current provost Jonathan Wickert will step down on June 30. He is one of the nation's longest-serving provosts thanks to his 12 years of service. Wickert is also the longest-serving provost among Iowa's three public universities.

The selection process involved a national search led by an 18-member search committee chaired by David Spalding, vice president for economic development and industry relations and dean of the Ivy College of Business.

The four finalists visited campus for interviews in April. The candidates included Elizabeth Wentz, vice president and dean of the Graduate College at Arizona State University, Purdue University College of Pharmacy Dean and acting provost Eric Barker, and David Wrobel, dean of Dodge Family College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Oklahoma.

Keith visited Ames from April 22 to April 23. Each candidate participated in a series of interviews and campus forums.

"We had a strong pool of candidates and are thrilled to welcome Dr. Keith to Iowa State University," Spalding said in the Iowa State article. "He is an accomplished academic leader who brings a wealth of experience, and his expertise will be invaluable in working collaboratively with our talented team of deans."

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Celia Brocker is a government, crime, political and education reporter for the Ames Tribune. She can be reached at CBrocker@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Ames Tribune: Iowa State University selects Mississippi admin as next provost