UNT alumna Jennifer Evans-Cowley ('97 M.P.A.) has been named UNT's new provost and vice president for academic affairs. She will replace Finely Graves, who has served as provost since 2015 and will retire in August after 15 years with UNT.
Evans-Cowley, a native of Arlington, has more than a decade of experience in higher education leadership and will begin her position at UNT on July 1.
UNT President Neal Smatresk says he is excited to have an alumna leading UNT's academic community, someone who knows firsthand the quality of a UNT education.
"Jennifer brings unique expertise to help us continue our momentum as a Tier One research university because she understands how to best support student and faculty success and plan for growth," Smatresk says. "UNT is transforming itself to be a first-choice institution for students and first-choice partner for communities and industry. Her experience working in academics and with government officials will serve us well."
Evans-Cowley has served as vice provost for capital planning and regional campuses at The Ohio State University since 2014. In that position, she led four regional campuses that serve 6,000 students. She worked with the deans at those campuses on plans for increasing student success, including grants focused on degree completion. She helped develop the President's and Provost's Teaching Institute to aid faculty in improving teaching quality and advancing effectiveness, and her office conducted a comprehensive salary study for faculty to create equitable salaries. Evans-Cowley also created a capital plan that will lead to more than $1 billion in development in the next five years.
"I'm eager to come home to Texas and UNT, and look forward to supporting academic life at the university," Evans-Cowley says. "I can't wait to meet the students, faculty, staff and deans who make UNT the amazing place that it is. I look forward to working together to achieve UNT's academic goals."
Prior to entering the higher education field, Evans-Cowley worked in city government in College Station and Amarillo and also has experience working with the Environmental Protection Agency. She taught at Texas A&M University and then at Ohio State. While at Ohio State, she chaired the city and regional planning section in the Knowlton School before being promoted to associate dean for academic affairs and administration in the College of Engineering.
Evans-Cowley has a Bachelor of Science in political science, a Master of Urban Planning and a Ph.D. in urban and regional science from Texas A&M University, and a Master of Public Administration from UNT.
