Hendrix College names new provost

Hendrix College named Dr. Teresa Garrett as executive vice president of Academic Affairs and Provost of the College on Wednesday (April 3).

Garrett will join Hendrix on July 1 and comes from Sweet Briar College in Virginia, where she was vice president for Academic Affairs and dean of the College and is a faculty member of the Department of Chemistry.

“We are excited and fortunate to welcome Dr. Garrett to the Hendrix community as Provost. As an accomplished scholar, teacher, and leader, she will add tremendous value to our leadership team and to our work in Academic Affairs as we plan for the future of the College,” said Hendrix College President Karen Petersen.

Garrett was selected after a national search led by Academic Search, Inc., and a local committee including faculty, staff, alumni, and a student representative.

“I am grateful to our campus search committee for their diligent and thoughtful deliberation during this critical process. Their care and concern for finding the best fit for our next Provost was essential to our success,” Petersen added.

As Sweet Briar’s chief academic officer, Garrett worked with colleagues to revise 17 academic programs and develop a new Leadership in Sustainable Agriculture certificate program. She led the development of a Summer Arts Retreat with writing, sound design, photography, and dance courses, and the integration of the school’s greenhouse into the academic program with community-supported agriculture and a farmer’s market.

In addition to overseeing Student Affairs, she also worked with the college’s alumni engagement, development, and enrollment teams to achieve the institution’s fundraising and student recruitment goals.

Prior to her tenure at Sweet Briar, Garrett was associate dean of Faculty and professor of Chemistry at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

Garrett earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Florida State University and a doctorate in biochemistry from Duke University, where she also taught as an assistant research professor.

She will succeed Interim Provost Dr. David Sutherland, who is retiring at the end of this academic year after 32 years at Hendrix. A professor of mathematics, Sutherland served for 20 years as the College’s associate provost for academic affairs.