Alumna Jennifer Evans-Cowley ('97 M.P.A.) begins her role as UNT's new provost and vice president for academic affairs July 1.

A native of Arlington, Texas, Evans-Cowley has served as vice provost for capital planning and regional campuses at 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 also 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. And she 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 city and regional planning in the Knowlton School before being promoted to associate dean for academic affairs and administration in the College of Engineering.

Evans-Cowley holds a bachelor's degree in political science, a master's degree in urban planning and a Ph.D. in urban and regional science from Texas A&M University, and a master's in public administration from UNT.