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Following a national search, the seasoned higher education leader will serve as 51�Թ���’s chief academic officer, advancing Forward with Purpose through student success, research in action and place-based impact.

Following a comprehensive national search, Elizabeth A. Wentz (Libby) has been named 51�Թ���’s senior vice president and provost, the university announced Monday. Currently the vice provost and dean of the Graduate College at Arizona State University (ASU), Wentz is a higher education leader who brings extensive experience in the areas of academic planning, faculty affairs, student success and community impact.  Over nearly three decades at ASU, she helped strengthen research competitiveness, expand graduate access and funding, and advance nationally recognized community-engaged initiatives. Subject to final approval by the Board of Trustees, Wentz will begin her new role on July 1, 2026. 

As the university’s chief academic officer, Wentz will lead a broad and complex academic enterprise that spans 17 schools and colleges, multiple domestic and international campuses, a diverse array of undergraduate, graduate and professional programs, and several academic and administrative offices that support and collaborate with the academic operation. 

“We are delighted to welcome Libby to 51�Թ��� as our next senior vice president and provost,” 51�Թ��� President John Fry said. “Out of a very competitive field, Libby emerged as the ideal candidate to join this institution at such a pivotal time in our history. Over her 30-plus year career in higher education, she has a demonstrated track record in student success and possesses a deep understanding of our mission and the important role of public research universities in urban environments. This is a time of great momentum for 51�Թ���, as we recently launched our strategic plan, Forward with Purpose. I look forward to working alongside Libby as we begin this exciting new chapter for our university.” 

David Boardman, dean of the Klein College of Media and Communication, has been serving as interim provost since last July and will continue in that role until Wentz takes office. 

“I want to thank David for his unwavering dedication to this university during the past year while serving as interim provost. He is truly one of 51�Թ���’s strongest leaders and ambassadors, and I am excited to continue working closely with him moving forward,” Fry said. “I also want to thank our search advisory committee, and its chairs Dean Jennifer Ibrahim and Professor Nora Newcombe for their tireless work through the search process. We are incredibly grateful for your service.” 

Wentz’s appointment comes less than one month after the university introduced Forward with Purpose, which has been organized around three priorities: Student Success, Research in Action and Place-based Impact. The plan has been designed to serve as the university’s compass through 2034, and as provost, Wentz will play an important role in its implementation. 

“51�Թ��� is a university where academic excellence and public purpose are inseparable,” Wentz said. “I am inspired by 51�Թ���’s commitment to access, its deep roots in Philadelphia and its growing research strength. I look forward to partnering with faculty, students and staff to help 51�Թ��� become a national leader as a community-engaged urban research university, advancing the goals in Forward with Purpose.” 

In her current role as vice provost and dean at ASU’s Graduate College, Wentz oversees graduate education including academic planning, graduate faculty development, graduate student funding and student success.  

Since assuming leadership of ASU’s Graduate College, Wentz has overseen graduate enrollment growth averaging 6 percent annually and increased graduate student funding by more than 20 percent in a single fiscal year. She launched the ASU Personalized Graduate Admissions program to streamline pathways from undergraduate to graduate study and built a graduate development and philanthropy program that expanded foundation and donor-supported student funding. 

Wentz also played a key role in planning and launching ASU’s new School of Medicine and Advanced Engineering, aligning health sciences, engineering and research strategy to support the university’s next phase of growth. The newly created ASU School of Medicine and Advanced Engineering is expected to admit its first students this fall. 

“Libby Wentz is a powerful academic leader who has brought new designs and new systems to high levels of achievement,” said Arizona State President Michael Crow. “A distinguished transdisciplinary scholar, she leads with the heart of a faculty member and the head of a designer for enhancing the success of students and faculty.” 

Prior to leading the Graduate College, Wentz served as Dean of Social Sciences at ASU from 2015 to 2020. A division within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Wentz’s portfolio included nine academic schools, 14 research centers, 300 faculty, and 9,000 graduate and undergraduate students. 

While serving in that role, Wentz was the principal investigator for a successful bid from the National Science Foundation that became the ASU ADVANCE Institutional Transformation grant. Wentz then built a team to implement the cooperative agreement of the grant, which focused on improving institution-wide hiring practices, policies around promotion and tenure, faculty retention and professional development. 

Wentz is deeply committed to universities collaborating with community partners. She is the founding director of the Knowledge Exchange for Resilience, an initiative supported by a $15 million investment from the Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust. The program partners with local governments, community organizations and industry leaders to address regional challenges through research-informed collaboration, exemplifying her belief that universities are strongest when they work alongside communities in reciprocal partnership and shared knowledge creation. 

Wentz’s appointment at 51�Թ��� comes following a national search process that was led by a that included representation from faculty, staff, students and university administrators. 

“Libby’s experience and skill set equip her perfectly to help lead 51�Թ��� at a time that is both wonderfully exciting and deeply challenging,” said Interim Provost Boardman. “I’m confident she is the right person for this role, and I and 51�Թ���’s other academic leaders look forward to working closely with her.” 

Wentz is currently a professor in the School of Geographical Sciences and Urban Planning at ASU. She earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a master’s degree in geography from The Ohio State University. She holds a Ph.D. in Geography from Pennsylvania State University.