Emory President Claire E. Sterk sent the following message to the university community on Nov. 25, 2019.

Dear Emory Community:

I am delighted to announce that Jan Love, dean of Candler School of Theology, will serve as interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, effective December 16. Dean Love, who also serves as professor of Christianity and World Politics, is internationally recognized as a leader in church and ecumenical arenas and a scholar in the areas of religion and politics, conflict resolution, and globalization.

Given Dean Love’s distinguished academic and administrative career, I am confident she will be a strong partner as we implement our strategic goals to advance the university. She shares Emory’s commitment to support and enhance the academic excellence of our faculty, staff, and students. We anticipate that Dean Love will serve in this important academic position for more than a year to fully support the transition to a new university president.

During her tenure as interim provost, Dean Love will continue to serve as dean of Candler School of Theology. To help support her expanded portfolio, Jonathan Strom, currently the associate dean of faculty and academic affairs at Candler, will become senior associate dean. The search for a permanent provost will begin once the next president of Emory takes office, and Dean Love will return to full-time duties as Candler’s dean once the new provost is chosen. The Board of Trustees is now organizing a presidential search advisory committee as a first step in choosing Emory’s next leader.

This is an important time for Emory, and Dean Love recognizes the tremendous progress we have made and will continue to make. As Robert C. Goddard III, chair of the Emory University Board of Trustees, wrote in his November 20 message, “during this period of change Emory will not stand still”; instead, we will “move ahead with boldness and ambition.”

In the view of Katherine T. Rohrer, chair of the trustees’ Academic Affairs Committee, “Jan Love is already well known on campus for her welcome of a wide range of voices and opinions and for her exemplary university citizenship. She will be a strong academic leader for Emory and a tireless advocate for its mission.”

I look forward to working with interim Provost Love and I am confident we will further Emory’s academic eminence.

Sincerely, 

Claire E. Sterk
Emory University President