National search for permanent provost to begin soon

Nov. 21, 2024

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MILWAUKEE — Dr. Sarah Feldner, dean of Marquette University’s Diederich College of Communication, has been named acting provost, President Kimo Ah Yun announced today. Feldner, who has served as communication dean since May 2020, will begin in her new role today, and a national search for the next permanent provost will begin soon.  

“I’ve had the privilege of working closely with Dr. Feldner for the past eight years, and I have great confidence in her leadership and commitment to Marquette’s Catholic, Jesuit mission,” President Ah Yun said. “Dr. Feldner’s dedicated service to Marquette and its educational mission has gone far beyond Johnston Hall, having led the Marquette Core Curriculum, Student Success coordinating committee and the University Board of Undergraduate Studies. She is a students-first leader with a keen understanding of and appreciation for the needs of our esteemed faculty. I look forward to having her join the Executive Leadership Team.” 

“I am honored to serve as Marquette’s acting provost, and I want to thank President Ah Yun for this opportunity to lead the university’s academic enterprise as a member of the Executive Leadership Team,” Acting Provost Feldner said. “There are great opportunities in front of us at Marquette, and when we let our Catholic, Jesuit mission guide us and maintain our focus on student success and well-being, Marquette will, indeed, thrive.” 

As acting provost and a member of the ELT and President’s Cabinet, Feldner will work closely with other senior leaders to push forward on the priorities laid out in the Marquette 2031 Strategic Plan: Guided by Mission, Inspired to Change. The plan aims to capitalize on Marquette’s current momentum and position the university for success as it prepares to celebrate its 150th anniversary.  

Marquette is currently ranked in the top 20% of national universities and in the top 20 for undergraduate teaching by U.S. News & World Report. The Princeton Review named Marquette among the Best Value Colleges for 2024 and ranked it in the top 15 nationally among private universities for internships and the No. 1 in the nation for community service. 

Acting Provost Feldner, who is a professor of communication studies, previously served as acting dean of the Diederich College of Communication. Prior to that, she was the college’s associate dean for graduate studies and research.  

Acting Provost Feldner also served as the director of the Marquette Core Curriculum from 2016-18 and was co-chair of the Student Success coordinating committee. Her work on the latter helped lay the foundation for the university’s Student Success Initiative. Entering its fifth year, the initiative has resulted in record first-to-second year retention rates, increases in students utilizing academic success resources, and a key physical component: the Lemonis Center for Student Success, which Marquette opened in fall 2024 to provide wraparound services for students across all majors, academic abilities and backgrounds to enrich and expand student opportunities.   

Previously, Acting Provost Feldner worked on the Core of Common Studies Review Committee for six years and helped lead the Core Revision Facilitation Group. Additionally, she chaired the University Board of Undergraduate Studies, has worked closely with the Center for Teaching and Learning, and participated in several faculty programs with the Office of Mission and Ministry. 

She has been recognized for her commitment to teaching, winning the Raynor Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence in 2012 and the Diederich College of Communication Dean’s Recognition Award for Teaching Excellence in 2004. 

Acting Provost Feldner, whose research focuses on organizational communication, mission and identity, earned a bachelor’s degree summa cum laude in communication from the University of Kentucky, a master’s in speech communication from Indiana University and a Ph.D. in organizational communication from Purdue University.