UK names interim provost; Capilouto says position to be filled permanently after search

Dr. Bob DiPaola, dean of the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, has been named acting provost.

UK President Eli Capilouto announced Friday that he was appointing DiPaola to the post for a one-year period beginning July 1. Capilouto said he’ll begin a national search for a permanent provost this fall.

At UK, the provost’s job “is to be a resource for all of the University of Kentucky, with a primary emphasis on enhancing UK’s academic excellence and its brand as an institution that focuses on the Commonwealth in ways that have a global impact,” according to the higher education institution’s website.

Capilouto wrote in an email to the campus Friday afternoon that DiPaola “is a highly regarded leader who has successfully engaged multidisciplinary groups for initiatives in research and education.”

“His collaborative approach and commitment to shared governance — working alongside outstanding faculty, staff and learners — has led the college to unprecedented growth and progress in recent years in many ways that have led our institution in advancing our mission,” Capilouto wrote.

DiPaola was hired as dean of the College of Medicine in 2016, having previously served as director of the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey.

He replaces Provost David Blackwell, who announced in January that he would leave the provost’s position June 30 because he is seeking a job as president of another university.

Blackwell came to UK from Texas A&M University in 2012 and served as dean of the Gatton College of Business and Economics until he was named provost in 2018.

DiPaola said in a news release that “the opportunity to serve the University of Kentucky in this capacity is more than an honor, it is a privilege.”

“Our focus on the four-part mission — education, research, care, and service — paired with our college’s model of shared governance have prepared me well for this position,” he said.

In the release, UK said that under DiPaola’s leadership in the College of Medicine, the college has “significantly accelerated and grown its research agenda, developed innovative education and service programs and strengthened commitments to diversity and inclusion.”

UK president halts criticized dean search, commits to faculty requests on governance