Dr. Sean Holt appointed as Associate Provost of Research and Innovation

After a national search, I am pleased to announce that Dr. Shawn Holt has been appointed the Associate Provost of Research and Innovation effective July 17, 2023. In this role, Dr. Holt will be responsible for building capacity, developing infrastructure, and procuring sponsored research that is aligned with the institution’s mission and that positions the University to achieve “Research 2” classification. Dr. Holt will work collaboratively with the university’s senior administration to set strategic priorities for research while concurrently managing proposals and awards, overseeing regulatory compliance, ethics, and managing conflict of interest. Dr. Holt will be responsible for creating major partnerships with external organizations and for establishing working relationships with private, state, and federal funding agencies.

As a former faculty member, department chairperson, and academic dean, Dr. Holt evolved into a prolific researcher who authored or co-authored 72 peer-reviewed papers, which are published in various peer-reviewed journals. He also has experience leading and mentoring diverse faculty as well as teaching and developing courses in Natural and Physical Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science, Health, and Physical Education. He has served on various faculty and college committees such as Institutional Effectiveness, Strategic Planning, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Reaccreditation and Reaffirmation, Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) Taskforce, and Racial Justice and Equity Taskforce, Institutional Review Board, and others. He has been involved in all aspects of faculty matters—hiring, mentoring, restructuring, development, and review, and he has been responsible for creating schedules and managing operating budgets of approximately $2 million per year.

Prior to joining WSSU, Dr. Holt serve as the Scientific Review Manager at General Dynamics IT (formerly CSRA, Inc.); Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Gardner-Webb University; Professor and Chairperson of the Department of Natural Science and Mathematics at Richard Bland College; Professor and Student Success Administrator at Richard Bland College; Chief Scientific Officer at Presidium Athletics; Associate Professor in the Department of Biology and the Department of Chemistry at Virginia State University.