Former UF provost selected as new provost for University of Arizona

A former provost at the University of Florida (UF) will become the next provost as well as the senior vice president of academic affairs at the University of Arizona.

Joseph Glover, currently a senior advisor to UF President Ben Sasse, served as UF provost for 15 years before stepping down in July 2023.

Stepping down: UF Provost Joe Glover to step down after 15 years of leadership

Made permanent: University of Florida appoints interim provost to permanent position

“Joe is a special guy,” said Sasse in a news release. “The important work he spearheaded here at the University of Florida will have a lasting impact. We wish him the best at Arizona and are grateful that he’ll always be a Gator.”

The Sun previously reported that Glover announced, in January 2023, he would resign from the position he'd held for the past 15 years, which was shortly after UF declared Sasse would be the school's next president.

Sasse announced in June 2023 that he would promote Scott Angle, senior vice president for agriculture and natural resources at the time, to an interim role while a national search for a permanent provost continued. It was then announced in January 2024 that Angle would become the permanent provost.

Glover's history at UF

Glover came from the University of Rochester in New York state to UF in 1983 to teach as an assistant professor of mathematics. A news release said he held many department, college and university leadership positions in his next 40 years at the university, which included chair of the mathematics department, associate provost for academic affairs and interim provost, among other titles.

Glover became interim dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 2007. Then, in 2008, he became provost and senior vice president for academic affairs — a title he held for nearly two decades. The Sun formerly reported that Glover was chosen as provost by former UF President Bernie Machen who did not conduct a national search, which broke standard procedure at the time.

In his role as provost, a news release said, Glover was considered the second-ranking officer of the university and "supervised the allocation of resources in academic areas, improvements in and coordination of instructional activities, development and improvement of research activities and evaluation of university academic activity."

Glover contributed to many of the university's accomplishments during his tenure which include significant faculty hiring plans, UF's reaccreditation and innovative programs — such as the Pathway to Campus Enrollment (PaCE) admissions program — among other things.

The Sun previously reported that his accomplishments include helping launch UF's artificial intelligence (A.I.) initiative, the creation of the Innovation Academy and the university's rise to a top five ranking. Additionally, Glover helped initiate UF Online, which was ranked No. 1 among online bachelor programs by U.S. News and World Report in 2023.

“It has been my great privilege and honor to have been a member of UF’s faculty for 42 years,” said Glover in a news release. “If I have been able to help UF achieve some of its dreams during my 15 years as provost, it was due largely to the remarkably talented faculty, staff, and students at this university. When the time comes for retirement, I will look forward to returning to Gainesville to renew old acquaintances and make new friends."

Glover will begin his new roles of senior vice president of academic affairs and provost at the University of Arizona on July 1.

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: Joseph Glover selected as University of Arizona provost