Laurie McCauley, DDS, PhD – Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Welcome
The University of Michigan is a vibrant institution, with 19 schools and colleges and many institutes, centers, and research programs, all of which contribute to our tripartite mission of research, education, and service.
Founded in 1817, the university is shaped by its history as a public institution and guided by its commitment to serving society.
The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.”
The provost has primary responsibility for the academic and budgetary affairs of the university. In this capacity, I work closely with U-M academic leaders and the executive officers to ensure that our academic programs have financial support that maintains excellence, encourages innovation, and enhances student success.
Recognized as one of the world’s best public universities, we are committed to welcoming and supporting a diverse community of scholars and students.
Sincerely,
Laurie K. McCauley
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
[email protected]
Dr. McCauley’s biography [PDF]
Dr. Laurie McCauley is provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at the University of Michigan, overseeing the university’s academic and budgetary affairs. The deans of the 19 schools and colleges report to her, as do the nine vice provosts with portfolios covering academic and budgetary affairs; academic and faculty affairs; academic affairs-graduate studies; academic innovation; biosciences initiative; diversity, equity & inclusion; engaged learning; and enrollment management.
During her tenure, the Office of the Provost created new focus areas for the office as identified by faculty groups and the strategic visioning process: the inaugural vice provost for sustainability and climate action is responsible for elevating and coordinating the university’s approach to sustainability education and research, and the university’s first vice provost for undergraduate education is the primary role responsible for coordinating the Student Success Initiative, which was created as a result of the Initiative Planning Group on Student Academic Success charged by Provost McCauley.
In concert with the Vice President of Information Technology, Provost McCauley charged the university’s first committee on generative artificial intelligence. She has been instrumental in U-M’s development and implementation of generative AI tools for faculty, staff, and students, for which the university is a recognized national leader.
In partnership with the other executive vice presidents, Provost McCauley leads U-M’s Campus Planning 2025 initiative, as well as the university’s Strategic Visioning process.
An active researcher supported by the National Institutes of Health for more than 25 years, Dr. McCauley’s work focuses on parathyroid hormone anabolic actions in bone, immune cell functions in bone, and prostate cancer skeletal metastasis. This mechanistic and translational research contributes to regenerative medicine and the development of treatments for inflammatory mediated bone loss.
Provost McCauley has held visiting appointments at the Institut de Genetique et de Biologie Moleculaire et Cellulaire, the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, and the Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Reperfusion Injury, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Among her many recognitions, she has been awarded a distinguished scientist award (International Association for Dental Research), a distinguished alumna award (The Ohio State University), and the Norton M. Ross Award for Excellence in Clinical Research (American Dental Association). She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of the National Academy of Medicine, where she served as Section Chair.
Provost McCauley has been a champion for diversity, equity, and inclusion, receiving the Ida Gray award for her outstanding efforts in promoting multicultural ideals.
She is also a passionate advocate for the health and well-being of faculty, students, and staff and serves as a leader in the university’s Well-Being Collective. Since taking on the role of provost, she has committed to creating a more accessible and inclusive environment for people with disabilities at the university, as well as integrating disability awareness into more educational contexts across campus.
Prior to her appointment as provost, she served as the dean of the School of Dentistry. As dean, she actively worked to reduce student debt, and oversaw a $142 million expansion and renovation of the dental school’s clinical and educational facilities. Dr. McCauley is the William K. and Mary Anne Najjar Professor of Periodontics in the School of Dentistry and professor of pathology in the Medical School.
Provost McCauley joined U-M as an assistant professor of dentistry in 1992. She holds four degrees from The Ohio State University: Bachelor of Science in education, Doctor of Dental Surgery, Master of Science in dentistry, and PhD in veterinary pathology.