University of Texas at El Paso President Heather Wilson announced John S. Wiebe will be promoted to become the university’s vice president for academic affairs and provost after holding the interim position since January of last year.
“During my first seven months here John’s quiet advice and active engagement on difficult problems improved the quality of decisions,” Wilson said in an email Tuesday. “While unfailingly professional John is an effective and thoughtful member of the cabinet and he makes the team better.”
UTEP first announced its search for a new provost in October 2019 with the search committee being led by Vice President of Student Affairs Gary Edens.
The position of a provost is a highly touted position at a university, as it oversees all areas related to university curriculum and faculty appointments, as well as being the chief academic officer.
Wiebe earned his doctorate degree in clinical health psychology from the University of Iowa in 1998 and earned his undergraduate degree from Ohio Wesleyar.
Wiebe joined the UTEP faculty the same year and his research has focused on adaption to severe chronic medical conditions, such as end-stage renal disease and Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection, according to the university’s website.
He began a program of community-engaged research on mental health and has mentored undergraduate and graduate students.
His work is published in the Journal of Health Psychology, he has served as the president of the faculty senate for two terms and became associate provost in 2012.
In January 2019, Wiebe was named interim provost after former provost Carol Parker transferred to New Mexico State University (NMSU) as its provost in May 2019, according to an NMSU news release.
“John is well-regarded by faculty and students for his expertise and calm problem-solving ability,” Wilson said. “He is approachable and understands how to get things done in our complex organization.
Isaiah Ramirez may be reached at [email protected]
