Provost Robert DiPaola

The following message from President Capilouto was sent to all of campus on Thursday, May 5, 2022. 

Campus Community,

I am very pleased to announce that Dr. Robert DiPaola has accepted the position of Provost at the University of Kentucky.

During this academic year, Bob has served as our chief academic officer in an acting capacity – a tenure marked by important progress on key institutional objectives and steady, focused and collaborative leadership.

During this past year alone, Bob helped lead the development of our new Strategic Plan, The UK PURPOSE.

He has helped create a foundation for – and has continued to lead efforts around – our process next year for reaccreditation through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). As part of that plan, he has played a key role in consulting and collaborating with members of our community across the campus in the development of our Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP).

That effort – Transdisciplinary Educational Approaches to how we advance Kentucky (TEK) – focuses on taking the transdisciplinary approach often associated with how we successfully conduct research and applying it to how we teach and learn. ( https://uknow.uky.edu/campus-news/demonstrating-our-commitment-student-learning )

Bob also has laid important groundwork in selecting several leaders for open dean positions and other administrative posts as well as efforts to provide greater faculty support, enhance diversity and inclusion on our campus and strengthen and expand online education.

His open, transparent and communicative style with colleges, faculty leaders, deans and other members of our senior administrative team continually led to better, more informed and evidence-based decisions.

I am excited about what he will do, along with the rest of our leadership team, deans and colleges, to continue our progress.

I want to thank the search committee – led by our co-chairs, Vice President for Land-Grant Engagement and Dean Nancy Cox and Chief Accountability Officer Joe Reed – for their outstanding work and commitment throughout this process.

I also want to thank our campus community for participating in open forums, small group meetings and online surveys. The feedback informed my thoughts as I made this critical decision.

Leaders like Bob only reinforce my belief that this community is poised for even brighter days. I am excited about the future of our university and the progress we can make together in advancing Kentucky.

Thank you for all you do.

Eli Capilouto

President