Faculty and staff at the College of Arts and Sciences met with the University of Miami’s new provost on November 11 for a wide-ranging conversation that touched on research funding, the value of a liberal arts education, and other college priorities.
The event, held at the Frost Institute for Chemistry and Molecular Science, was hosted by Leonidas Bachas, the college’s dean, and attracted dozens of faculty and staff members from across the college.
Joel H. Samuels, who joined the University in August as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs, began the conversation by sharing his academic and professional background, which includes serving as dean of the University of South Carolina McCausland College of Arts and Sciences.
“I’m really thrilled to be part of this community,” he said. “My role is to be a provost bringing all of our academic spaces together and allowing the deans to lead and all of you to work together in support of our mission.”
Samuels also discussed the value of a liberal arts education as the core of any university and the importance of teaching students to communicate effectively and think critically. He said he views the college as the “heart” of the University because it touches nearly every aspect of the institution’s work.
During the question and answer portion of the event, faculty and staff asked about the University’s budget, support for graduate programs, funding for faculty research, and other topics.
Samuels said he hopes to grow the University’s partnerships with the private sector to find alternative funding channels for research. He also discussed his decision-making approach and his commitment to finding more opportunities to engage with students.
“Getting to spend more time with students has become a really high priority for me,” he said, adding that he recently attended several student events on campus.
Samuels concluded the event by saying that he was open to continuing the conversation with the college’s faculty and staff.
“I want to be out doing this as much as I possibly can,” he said. “I’d love to come back, and I’d welcome the invitation to come back.”
