Grobsmith leaves USU after one year as HASS dean
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. – Northern Arizona University’s new provost comes with a strong record of innovative leadership in the academic arena.
NAU President John D. Haeger announced today he has named Elizabeth S. Grobsmith as provost.
“Dr. Grobsmith is a perfect match for NAU. She comes with a proven track record in higher education. She has been dean at two institutions in large and complex colleges and is supportive of innovative undergraduate education. She has enjoyed an extraordinarily successful career in the classroom and research, and demonstrates a remarkable understanding of the changing environment in higher education,” Haeger said.
Grobsmith said she is delighted to take on the challenge of being NAU’s provost.
“President Haeger has a very exciting agenda, and I am greatly looking forward to working with him. I was very intrigued by the institution’s unique position as a doctoral institution, yet one having a mission to serve rural areas of the state.
“What I learned about NAU during the interview process was most impressive, and I felt that this was a very good fit for me. I am eager to get to know the campus and its faculty and staff as well. I am eager to travel the state and visit all the distributed learning sites and gain a fuller appreciation for NAU’s very diversified mission.”
Grobsmith is currently dean of the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences at Utah State University. From 1996 to 2001 she was dean of the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.
At the University of Nebraska-Lincoln she rose through the ranks. She started in 1971 as an instructor in the Department of Anthropology and was promoted to full professor in 1991.
Also at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln she served as assistant dean in the College of Arts and Sciences from 1989 to 1991, assistant vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, director of Summer Sessions, from 1991 to 1994 and then associate vice chancellor for Academic Affairs, director of Summer Sessions from 1994 to 1996.
Grobsmith is the author of “Indians in Prison: A Study of Incarcerated Native Americans,” (University of Nebraska Press) which was selected for the CHOICE, 1994 Outstanding Academic Award. She also is the author of “Lakota of the Rosebud: A Contemporary Ethnography” and numerous journal articles, book chapters and book reviews.
Her educational background includes a bachelor of music degree from The Ohio State University, master’s and doctorate degrees in anthropology from the University of Arizona.
“My background as an anthropologist with a special emphasis on American Indian culture seems like an especially good fit with NAU’s commitment to serving Native Americans and Hispanic populations in the state of Arizona. Since I was in graduate school at UA, I have always hoped to return to the Southwest where I can enjoy its beauty and cultural richness.
“NAU’s focus on the Colorado Plateau and its environmental focus also were very appealing to me. My husband–also an anthropologist (and linguist) with special interest in the languages and cultures of Native North America, is very pleased with our decision to move to Flagstaff.”
At Utah State, Grobsmith led the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences compact planning process, helped build support for a new school of the arts and worked towards establishment of a new religious studies program in the college.
During her time at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs she established an external presence for the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences by creating advisory boards and establishing fund-raising goals for the college, instituted new faculty processes that allowed for far greater participation in faculty governance, created a new department of visual and performing arts, and gained approval for a new science building. Grobsmth said she is grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the team that will face the challenges ahead.
“There are many issues facing NAU in the future, and I believe NAU is a very impressive institution with top quality research programs and faculty, and a deep commitment to both undergraduate and graduate education.”