Office of the Provost and Dean of the Faculty Staff and Office Information

The provost and dean of the faculty is the chief academic officer of the college and has primary responsibility for matters of academic policy and for the academic budget.  The provost serves as secretary to the Faculty Executive Committee, the executive committee of the faculty, and as secretary to the faculty. She oversees the Amherst Center for Russian Culture, the Beneski Museum of Natural History, the Center for Community Engagement, the Center for Humanistic Inquiry, the Center for Strategic Learning, the Center for Teaching and Learning, the Emily Dickinson Museum, the Global Education Office, the Loeb Center for Career Exploration and Planning, the Mead Art Museum, the Office of Fellowships, the Office of Institutional Research and Registrar Services,  the Office of Sponsored Research and Foundation Relations, the Office of Sustainability, and the Robert Frost Library. The provost has joint responsibility for the Department of Physical Education and Athletics. She serves as the college’s Five College deputy. Please contact the provost with any questions or concerns that you may have. Learn more about Provost Epstein »

Please contact Anthony with inquiries about faculty personnel procedures, the Faculty Research Award Program (FRAP), the science center, compliance matters, the Moss Quantitative Center, sponsored research in the sciences, compliance committees (IACUC, IRB, IBC), equipping classrooms, faculty offices, the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program, and with general questions.  He serves as the office’s liaison to the Departments of Information Technology, Facilities, the Faculty Computer Committee, and the Science Faculty Steering Committee.

Please contact Pawan with inquiries about Amherst's faculty development programs (orientation for new faculty, mentoring programs), the Schupf Fellows Program, sponsored research in the humanities and social sciences, the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity, modest requests for funding for research and travel and for support for field trips, and the Gregory S. Call Undergraduate Research and Academic Internship Program. Pawan serves as the office’s liaison to the Writing Center, the Fellowships Office, the Office of Global Education, and the First-Year Seminar Committee. Pawan is leading implementation efforts surrounding the provost division's diversity, equity, and inclusion goals and the division's anti-racism action plan.

Please contact Janet with inquiries about the Faculty Executive Committee and the Tenure and Promotion Committee, academic policies, faculty hiring procedures (including advertising), faculty personnel procedures, provost office communications (including the provost's newsletter and website), faculty meetings, new faculty orientation, the  Alliance to Advance Liberal Arts Colleges (AALAC), NECHE (reaccreditation), the STINT Program (visiting faculty from Sweden), and with general questions.  Janet serves as the office’s liaison to the Office of Communications and the trustee office.

Please contact Nancy Ratner with questions about the Committee on Educational Policy (including proposals for new courses), the Gregory S. Call Student Research Program, the Schupf Fellows Program, the Post-Baccalaureate Fellowship, and faculty meeting minutes.

Please contact Steven with questions about policies and procedures relating to the academic budget, including academic department budgets, and for help with financial reporting.

Please contact Pam with inquiries about faculty personnel policies, procedures, and records; the faculty handbook; and administration of the Faculty Executive Committee and the Tenure and Promotion Committee.

Alice supports the provost and dean of the faculty and serves as the office manager for the provost's office. She manages day-to-day office operations and is also responsible for managing administrative information processes relating to the faculty.  Please contact her with general questions, including those surrounding policies, procedures, and faculty leave eligibility, as well as events and programming organized by the provost's office. If Alice doesn't know the answer, she will forward your inquiry to a colleague in the provost's office who can help you.

Lauren Banfield works collaboratively with the assistant to the provost and dean of the faculty to support the administrative needs of the provost’s office. Lauren is responsible for administrative processes related to the Faculty Research Awards Program (FRAP), the Alpha Delta Phi Fund and the David P. Patchel Memorial Fund. She also coordinates special events organized by the provost’s office. Please contact Lauren with general inquiries related to the programs noted above and with questions about special events.

Please contact Polly to schedule an appointment with the provost and for general questions and inquiries. She is responsible for administrative processes related to the Gregory S. Call Academic Internship Program.

Triin provides support and guidance to academic department coordinators (ADC)s through the identification, creation, implementation, training, and assessment of ADC tasks and responsibilities. In addition, she supports all logistical aspects of the ADC hiring and placement process, including working with the chairs of academic departments and programs on the search process, onboarding, and training of their ADCs. Triin also identifies temporary support for department and program faculty during ADC leaves of absence.

Marie provides administrative coordination and support for departmental external reviews, orientation programs for new faculty, assistance with COVID-testing for faculty, and other special projects within the provost's office.