‘A tremendous impact.’ Provost Nick Jones to step down, take new role at Penn State
Nick Jones, Penn State’s executive vice president and provost, will step down later this summer and transition to a new role within Old Main.
Starting on Aug. 15, Jones will begin serving as a special assistant to Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi, a role he’ll have through the end of 2022. He’ll also return to the university’s College of Engineering as a professor after previously teaching civil engineering courses at Illinois and Johns Hopkins.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Jones said he’s happy to remain on board at Penn State in a new role.
“I’ve always said that the best thing about Penn State is our amazing and resilient people, and, for me, too, you have been the highlight of the past nine years,” Jones said. “As I transition into a new role at the University, I will always value this community and the impact we’ve made.”
Jones arrived at Penn State in 2013. Since then, he’s acted as the chief academic officer, overseeing each of Penn State’s academic units. He’s also served on a number of high-profile administrative bodies, including the President’s Council and Academic Leadership Council.
Jones helped chair a council to develop Penn State’s university-wide strategic plan, “Our Commitment To Impact,” which has been in use since 2016. He also appointed two deans — Danielle Conway (Penn State Dickinson Law) and Clarence Lang (College of the Liberal Arts) — and co-chaired the university’s Select Penn State Presidential Commission on Racism, Bias, and Community Safety.
“Provost Jones has had a tremendous impact on the academic footprint of this University that will be felt for many years to come,” Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi said in a statement. “He has always been a champion for those around him and an innovative leader in critical areas, from strategic planning, to community building, to streamlining the ways we work together as a modern, 21st-century university to fulfill our mission.”
Penn State said it will conduct a national search for Jones’ successor this fall. The university plans to partner with a search firm to fill the role by the spring 2023 semester.
Starting on Aug. 15, College of Engineering Dean Justin Schwartz will serve as Penn State’s interim executive vice president and provost. He and Jones will begin a transitional period in mid-July, the university said.
Jones is the latest high-profile Penn State official to step down or retire over the past few months. Sandy Barbour, Penn State’s athletic director since 2014, will retire on July 1, opening up the position for Boston College’s Patrick Kraft. Former Penn State President Eric Barron recently retired but is sticking around to advise Bendapudi, who’s about seven weeks into her tenure at the university.
This story was originally published June 22, 2022 at 5:08 PM.
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