Ohio State to welcome new vice provost Charlene Gilbert in April

Ohio State will introduce a new vice provost, Charlene Gilbert, in April. Credit: Courtesy of The Ohio State University

Ohio State will welcome a new senior vice provost of student academic excellence April 4.

Charlene Gilbert, current dean of the College of Arts and Letters at the University of Toledo, will advise Executive Vice President and Provost Melissa L. Gilliam and serve as a professor in the department of women’s, gender and sexuality studies, according to the Wednesday announcement.

“Dr. Gilbert will provide leadership, vision and strategic direction to advance the academic experience and outcomes of Ohio State students on all campuses,” Gilliam said in the announcement.

Gilbert will replace Damon Jaggars, who currently serves as interim vice provost of student academic excellence, dean of undergraduate education and vice provost and dean of university libraries.

Gilbert is no stranger to Ohio State — from 2014 to 2017, she was the dean and director of the university’s Lima regional campus and a professor in the department of women’s, gender and sexuality studies, according to the announcement. During her time there, enrollment at the campus increased, first-year retention rates were their highest and there was an increase in four- and five-year graduation rates.

The Lima campus experienced the largest increase in the percentage of underrepresented minority students and the highest average ACT score for incoming freshmen in six years during Gilbert’s tenure, according to the announcement.

As dean at the University of Toledo, the College of Arts and Letters has experienced record-high retention and graduation rates and external research funding, according to the announcement. This includes an increase in Black and Latino students in autumn 2019.

According to the announcement, during her tenure, the college also added a major in data analytics, relaunched a master’s in public administration program and saw increased ranking for doctoral programs.

Gilbert received her bachelor’s from Yale University, her master’s of fine arts from Temple University and a doctorate from the University of Nebraska, according to the announcement.