Second candidate for vice provost of undergraduate studies to present Feb. 26

LAWRENCE — An associate vice chancellor at Western Carolina University is the second of four candidates who will take part in on-campus interviews for the vice provost of undergraduate studies at the University of Kansas.

Lowell Davis will make a public presentation from 11 a.m. to noon Wednesday, Feb. 26, in Forum C of the Burge Union. Members of the KU community are invited to attend the presentation and provide feedback of their impressions to the search committee, led by Tammara Durham, vice provost for student affairs, and Ron Ragan, dean of the School of Pharmacy.

Davis serves as associate vice chancellor for student success at Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina. He came to WCU from the University of Alabama, where he rose through the ranks of both Academic Affairs and Student Affairs. There, he founded Alabama Reach, an office serving the needs of students coming to the institution from the foster care system, homelessness or parental emancipation. Davis has continued to focus on supporting these populations and has successfully established partnerships at WCU to provide emergency housing, domestic services and other resources through its on-campus center, Home Base. Davis was recently selected as the staff member of the year for the Southern (athletic) Conference and elected as the president-elect for the North American Association of Summer Sessions.

Davis, originally from Dallas, graduated from Hampton University with a bachelor’s degree in English arts-secondary education. There, he served as Student Government Association president and vice president, and he was voted “Most Likely to Succeed/Be on the Cover of Ebony Magazine.” He has a master’s degree in counseling, also from Hampton, with an emphasis on college student development. He also holds a doctorate from Indiana University in higher education administration and student affairs, with an emphasis on the history of education.

Outside of work, Davis serves as the Polemarch/President of the Asheville (North Carolina) Alumni chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. and recently completed an American Council on Education Fellowship for the 2018-2019 school year at University of California, Davis. Additionally, he is a Paul Harris Fellow for Rotary International and serves on the Board of Advisors for the Baptist Children’s Home of North Carolina. He is a member of the Health and Human Services Committee for Haywood County, North Carolina, and he is involved in several other social and civic organizations.  At the core of his professional and community activities is a strong appreciation for building relationships. Whether Davis is working with students, community members, co-workers or strangers, Davis characterizes his work as guided by a desire to build bridges and strengthen his community.

Candidates have been asked to address the topic “What you see as the key challenges, priorities, and opportunities for the future of undergraduate education at KU.” Plans include recording the presentations and making them available for viewing after the final candidate has appeared on campus. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to offer their impressions and observations of each candidate online. Feedback will be due by 5 p.m. March 14.

The university will release information about each candidate about two business days before each candidate’s visit:

• Candidate 3: 4-5 p.m. March 3, Beren Petroleum Conference Center, Slawson Hall 
• Candidate 4-5 p.m. March 5, Beren Petroleum Conference Center, Slawson Hall

The Office of Undergraduate Studies includes a number of programs that promote a superior academic experience for students on the Lawrence and KU Edwards campuses. Undergraduate Studies strives to increase student retention and progression to graduation through engaged learning and emerging instructional platforms. The vice provost provides leadership to the units within Undergraduate Studies including First-Year Experience, Undergraduate Advising Center, Academic Achievement and Access Center, KU Writing Center, University Career Center, Office of Fellowships, Center for Service Learning, Center for Undergraduate Research, and the Military-Affiliated Student Center.