Gloria S. Waters, University Provost and Chief Academic Officer, to Transition from Role at End of Academic Year
Dear Members of the Boston University Community,
One of my first major decisions as president was selecting our next provost and chief academic officer—a choice I made with great care and confidence. From the outset, I knew Gloria Waters was the right person for the role. Her strong leadership, deep institutional knowledge, and steadfast commitment to academic excellence made her an ideal partner during a time of transition for our University and an especially challenging moment for higher education.
Gloria stepped into the role quickly and without hesitation, leading with purpose, vast knowledge, and dedication. From the beginning of our partnership, she was clear that her tenure as provost would be limited and provide a bridge for the transition that we planned to occur at the end of this academic year. We will now launch a national search for our next provost to build upon the progress that Gloria and her team have made. Once she has completed her time as provost, Gloria plans to return to the faculty and has agreed to be available for special projects, to lend her considerable talents and expertise to the University she has long served.
Over the past year, Gloria has tackled some of the University’s most complex challenges with clarity and resolve. She led negotiations and swiftly implemented the new graduate union contract while maintaining strong relationships across our academic community. She restructured the Office of the Provost to strengthen its effectiveness, established new cabinet-level advisory and working groups, and built a strong partnership with deans through new forums for collaboration and mentoring.
Under her leadership, the University closed some important budget gaps using a strategic, data-informed approach. She launched a University-wide academic strategic planning process, initiated searches for key academic leadership roles, and laid the foundation for long-term institutional priorities, including a unified provost model, a renewed student success strategy, expanded faculty development, and forward-looking research investment. Her tenure has brought greater coordination, transparency, and momentum to our academic enterprise.
From now until the transition, Gloria will continue to lead an ambitious effort to support schools and colleges as they refine and reorganize their strategic plans. Drawing on robust data and a consistent planning model, she is helping deans identify their units’ highest priorities, core strengths, and greatest opportunities. It is an effort that requires focus, nuance, and deep institutional understanding, and I am grateful for Gloria’s steady leadership throughout this process. This critical work will help ensure the sustainability and eminence of our academic mission through thoughtful, well-informed decisions.
Before becoming University provost, Gloria served as vice president and associate provost for research, during which time the University’s sponsored research expenditures grew by more than $200 million. A professor of speech, language, and hearing sciences, she also served for eight years as dean of Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences. Throughout her career, Gloria has been a talented, respected, and tireless university leader. Her contributions have been far-reaching, and I am profoundly grateful for the lasting impact she has had across our institution.
I look forward to engaging members of our community in the search process as we recruit the next leader of our academic enterprise.
Please join me in thanking Gloria for her exceptional leadership, her enduring commitment to our academic community, and her many years of dedicated service to the University. We wish her all the best in this next chapter.
Sincerely,
Melissa Gilliam
President
*9/30/25 This message was sent to faculty and staff.