MSU Board of Trustees appoints new provost and two college deans

Michigan State University approved three major academic appointments during its June 13 Board of Trustees meeting in Traverse City, including a new provost and deans for the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

Starting August 4, Laura Lee McIntyre will step into the role of Provost and Executive VP for Academic Affairs. McIntyre currently serves as the dean of the College of Education at the University of Oregon where she was praised by President Kevin Guskiewicz for fostering “a collaborative culture” that strengthened advising, graduate enrollment, scholarship opportunities and research output.

McIntyre is a licensed psychologist and board-certified behavior analyst whose research focuses on early childhood autism, family-school partnerships and behavioral health support for underserved families. 

In a podcast interview on MSU Today with Russ White, McIntyre said she was drawn to MSU because she found her own values reflected in the university’s land-grant mission, commitment to public service and global impact.

“As I dug into the mission… I really fell in love with the impact of the institution, certainly, and partnerships with the entire state, but also beyond,” McIntyre said on the podcast. “I’m passionate about the role of public higher education, especially today.”

As she prepares to begin her role in August, McIntyre told MSU Today that she plans to go on a “listening tour” to better understand MSU’s culture, challenges and strengths.

“Our strengths are our people,” she said. “It’s important for me to get to know as many people as I can, as quickly as I can, and hear from folks directly.”

McIntyre further described her leadership style in the podcast as grounded in listening and trust-building.

“I think of trust as a byproduct. It’s not a prerequisite,” she said. “It’s a byproduct of relationships, of communication and transparency.”

McIntyre will succeed Interim Provost Thomas Jeitschko, who has served in the role after Teresa Woodruff was named interim president in 2023, following former MSU President Samuel Stanley’s resignation. At the meeting, Guskiewicz credited Jeitschko for leading MSU through a critical period that included a 10-year accreditation review, the transition to a new student information system and the launch of the general education modernization initiative.

In recognition of his service, Jeitschko was granted the title of Provost Emeritus.

Also approved was Thomas Stubblefield as the new dean of the College of Arts and Letters (CAL), effective July 1. Stubblefield joins MSU as the 12th dean of CAL from the University of Rhode Island, where he serves as a professor of Art and Art History and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

Guskiewicz said in the meeting that Stubblefield “brings excellent experience” and will work alongside him as they work through a period of structural change, including the recently approved merger with the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities (RCAH) and CAL.

“I’m committed to a smooth transition with RCAH and CAL and I think we’ll look back in a year from now and many who are concerned about this will, in fact, feel much better,” Guskiewicz said.

Stubblefield replaces Yen-Hwei Lin, who has held the interim position since June 2024.

Prior to his role at the University of Rhode Island, Stubblefield held several academic and administrative positions at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, including associate dean, director of faculty development, and associate professor of art history and media studies. 

Matt Daum was also named Associate Provost and Dean of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR) effective June 13, after serving as interim for the past year. He previously led MSU’s School of Packaging, a program with national recognition.

At the meeting, Guskiewicz said Daum had “done a great job as interim dean” and expressed confidence that he will “take our CANR to new heights.”

Daum succeeds Kelly Millenbah, who has served as dean and interim dean since 2022.