Paul N. Courant, professor of public policy, economics and information, will serve as interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs as Martha Pollack makes the transition from U-M provost to president of Cornell University in early 2017.
President Mark Schlissel made the announcement Tuesday. Courant, also a former provost at U-M, will begin his interim role Feb. 1.
Schlissel said Courant is a distinguished faculty member who has served in a number of senior leadership positions over the years. He was provost from 2002-05, and has been the dean of libraries, an associate provost, director of the Institute of Public Policy Studies (now the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy) and chair of LSA’s Department of Economics.
Courant is the Harold T. Shapiro collegiate professor of public policy, an Arthur F. Thurnau professor, and professor of economics and of information. Courant earned a Bachelor of Arts in history from Swarthmore College, and a Master of Arts and a Ph.D. in economics from Princeton University.
“I am grateful to Dr. Courant for being willing to join our administrative ranks once again and serve in this important capacity,” Schlissel said.
The president said he will launch a national search for the university’s next provost in January. He said his goal is to have a new provost in place by the start of the new academic year in the fall of 2017.
