Dear AU Community,

Mary Clark, our Deputy Provost and Dean of Faculty, will be leaving her position on June 30 to become the Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor at the University of Denver. We are terribly sad to see Mary depart; she is a wonderful and valued member of our community. Mary’s commitment to our educational mission, our faculty, and our students shines through in all her efforts. You will not find a more collaborative and supportive colleague. On a personal level, I cannot thank Mary enough for her friendship over the past year; she was an excellent guide as I joined the AU community. We wish her all the best as she pursues this outstanding professional opportunity and the next phase of her impressive career.

Mary’s leadership and contributions can be seen across our university. As Deputy Provost and Dean of Faculty since 2019, and Senior Vice Provost and Dean of Academic Affairs from 2014-2019, she has been an invaluable partner to our deans and faculty, helping to shape the dynamic AU learning environment for our students. One of Mary’s proudest achievements is increasing the diversity of AU’s faculty. Under Mary’s leadership, 56 percent of new tenure-line faculty hired in fall 2019 identify as faculty of color. This continued the growth in diverse faculty hiring that we have seen in each of the last three years, and is a critical component of our university-wide commitment to inclusive excellence. Mary was also a key contributor to our Changemakers for a Changing World strategic plan and has led the implementation team for Imperative 4: Learning for Undergraduate, Graduate, and Professional Students.

Speaking of her long connection to the community, Mary said, “AU will always have a special place in my heart. AU has been my home for almost 20 years, it’s where I grew up as a faculty member, it’s where my sons quite literally grew up, and where my family was enormously well cared for in our darkest hour. I can’t wait to see everyone in person and to thank you for all of your support and friendship over the years.”

Mary served as Interim Provost during the 2018 search process, bringing her expertise and professionalism to ensure a smooth transition in our academic leadership team. She has been a Professor of Law at the Washington College of Law (WCL) since 2002, where she focuses on Women’s Legal History, Legal Ethics, and Judicial Politics. Prior to coming to American University, Mary was a visiting lecturer and research scholar at Yale Law School, a Supreme Court Fellow at the Federal Judicial Center, and an appellate attorney with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Moving forward, we will continue to build on our momentum through the strategic plan and advance our educational and research pursuits. Mary will be with us through June, helping with effective transition and succession planning to ensure our faculty and students are supported and our work remains the highest quality. We will be sharing further information about next steps in the coming weeks. I want to thank our deans and the team in the Office of the Provost for their support and commitment, particularly during the challenging time of COVID-19.

We will celebrate Mary and her many contributions to American University before her departure. She has brought so much to our community, most notably her passion for our mission and our people, and her commitment to creating world-class scholarship and teaching opportunities. Mary will be missed by all. On behalf of our entire executive and academic leadership teams, please join me in congratulating Mary and thanking her for her dedicated service to American University.

Sincerely,

Dan Myers
Provost and Chief Academic Officer