Senior Vice Provost Laura Hill, whose leadership since 2001 has helped build and retain a world-class faculty while bringing national recognition to Washington State University, will retire at the end of the calendar year.
Regents Professor Doug Call has been tapped by Provost Elizabeth Chilton to assume the senior vice provost role in January 2024. Call, a regents professor in the Paul G. Allen School of Global Health, will begin partnering part-time with Hill in August to help facilitate a smooth transition.
Hill, who holds a PhD in psychology, is a recognized leader in the field of human development, where she previously served as chair of the Department of Human Development at WSU. She held an administrative appointment as associate director for health promotion, research, and evaluation in the university’s Health and Wellness Services from 2011-2014. She is a founding faculty member of WSU’s interdisciplinary Prevention Science PhD program and served on the board of directors of the Society for Prevention Research from 2016-2019. In 2020, Hill was elected as a member of the Washington State Academy of Sciences.
“Dr. Hill has been a tremendous asset whose efforts have profoundly impacted the lives and success of our faculty, staff and students across the WSU system,” said Chilton. “She handles the complex responsibilities of her position with uncompromising excellence and dedication. Her thoughtful and collaborative leadership style has been inspiring, and she will be sorely missed.”
Call, who holds a PhD in zoology, joined WSU in 2000 in the Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology and became a fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science in 2014 in recognition of his work on antibiotic-resistant bacteria in agricultural systems. He has trained over 20 graduate students and published more than 245 peer-reviewed papers. His research into antimicrobial resistance in communities and hospitals in Tanzania, Kenya, and Guatemala has garnered support from the CDC, NIH, NSF, and Wellcome Trust.
In 2021, Call received the Washington State University Sahlin Eminent Faculty Award in recognition of his scholarship and professional service. He served as the chair of the WSU Faculty Senate in 2021-22 and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Washington State Academy of Sciences.
“Dr. Call brings a commitment to excellence and dedication to WSU’s academic and land-grant mission that will complement the provost office’s achievement-focused leadership team,” Chilton said. “The ability to work closely with Dr. Hill during the fall semester will strengthen the formal transition and provide vital continuity for the university overall.”
