MISSOULA – University of Montana President Seth Bodnar announced April 2 that Dr. Jon Harbor will serve as the new executive vice president for academic affairs and provost.

“Recruiting our new executive vice president and provost was a top priority, and we initiated the national search even before I officially arrived on campus,” Bodnar said. “Dr. Harbor’s leadership and experience are going to be vital as we continue to shape and strengthen every element that composes a UM education. I have great confidence in his ability to help move UM toward its full potential.”

Dr. Jon Harbor will serve as the new executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of Montana. (UM Photo)
Dr. Jon Harbor will serve as the new executive vice president for academic affairs and provost at the University of Montana. (UM Photo)
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Harbor currently serves as associate vice provost for teaching and learning and as executive director of digital education at Purdue University. As a professor in Purdue’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, he brings extensive  e research and teaching experience.

He also has a wealth of leadership experience, including service as an associate vice president for research, dean of a College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, founding and interim director of Purdue’s Global Sustainability Institute, and founding co-director of the Learning Research Center.

“I’m honored to join the University of Montana, particularly at this pivotal moment in the institution’s history,” Harbor said. “Higher education has never been more relevant or essential than it is today. UM excels in learning opportunities and research that are well-matched to the needs of students, the demands for educated citizens and a talented workforce, and the needs of Montana, the nation and the world. My wife, Amy, and I look forward to making our home in Missoula.”

Harbor will begin his full-time duties at UM on Aug. 1. In the meantime, he will visit campus during the coming months of transition, engaging with the University Planning Committee and assisting with the reorganizational alignment of Student Affairs and Academic Affairs announced by UM last month.

Bodnar thanked Interim Provost Beverly Edmond; law school Dean Paul Kirgis, who will serve as acting provost until Aug. 1; and the search committee led by Chris Comer, dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences; for their efforts conducting the strong nationwide search that led to Harbor’s selection.

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