Amie Grills

Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs

Amie Grills is the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs and Professor of Counseling Psychology & Applied Human Development in Boston University’s Wheelock College of Education & Human Development.

As Associate Provost, Dr. Grills serves as a central voice from the provost’s office on matters related to undergraduate education and provides leadership on core academic efforts. She collaborates closely with the provost, dean of students, academic deans, and faculty across BU’s schools and colleges to promote student engagement in high-impact practices, cross-disciplinary opportunities, and experiential learning. She oversees units including BU’s General Education Program, Kilachand Honors College, Undergraduate Advising & Student Success, the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program, the Educational Resource Center, and Academic Assessment. Dr. Grills chairs several core university-wide committees including Undergraduate Council and the Undergraduate Academic Programs and Policies Committee and represents undergraduate affairs as a member of the Provost’s Cabinet and as a senior leader on other major university initiatives, including the AI Development Accelerator, the Institute for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, and Living our Values.

As Associate Provost, Dr. Grills’ work has centered around advising, student success, and developing innovative academic opportunities for undergraduates. She has led a transformative university-wide redesign of undergraduate advising that aligns with national best practices and expands access to holistic advising. She also launched the university’s first student success team to further efforts focused on student retention, achievement, satisfaction, and engagement with high impact practices. Dr. Grills regularly compiles and shares data with the Deans and the Provost to increase dialogue and build shared understanding of university-wide goals.

Dr. Grills develops and leads initiatives to increase consistency and equity in the student experience across the university. Her work in this area involves developing and revising academic policies across BU’s schools and colleges, ensuring they align with students’ academic needs.  She oversaw an evaluation and subsequent revision to BU’s academic integrity policies and procedures that increased clarity and provided enhanced support for faculty and students. She also manages the curricular review process for undergraduate programs at the university level, ensuring that BU’s academic offerings remain innovative, rigorous, and aligned with institutional priorities.

Dr. Grills’ efforts are both strategic and forward-thinking. Her close collaboration with the Dean of Students has advanced their shared vision of a well-integrated academic and student life experience from admission to orientation to graduation. Their work also led to the launch of the first Accommodated Testing Center at BU. Integrating a data-driven and community input approach, Dr. Grills has developed a robust assessment of BU’s general education program, ensuring that it remains responsive to student and faculty needs. Dr. Grills is also committed to organizational efficacy and efficiency, and she has spearheaded efforts to bring together previously disparate administrative units, leveraging their collective strengths to better serve students.

Before joining the Provost’s Office in 2021, Dr. Grills served as Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and Associate Dean of Research in the Wheelock College of Education & Human Development. In these roles, she championed faculty development and research initiatives that advanced the college’s mission. Dr. Grills is a licensed clinical psychologist who received her PhD and MS in Clinical Psychology from Virginia Tech and an AB in Psychology from Smith College.

Learn more about the Office of the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Affairs.