[Download a high resolution photo of Richard McCarty.]
Richard McCarty, a distinguished psychologist who has led the largest school at Vanderbilt University for the past seven years, will be presented to the Vanderbilt Board of Trust next week for confirmation as the university’s chief academic officer.
McCarty, 61, will succeed Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos as Vanderbilt’s provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. Zeppos held the position until his election as chancellor on March 1. McCarty was appointed on the recommendation of a search committee, chaired by Mark Wait, dean of the Blair School of Music, that included faculty, students and a member of the Board of Trust.
"Richard McCarty is a proven and valued colleague to all of us at Vanderbilt," Zeppos said. "His concern for our faculty, students and academic mission is evident from the success of the College of Arts and Science under his leadership. Even more important, Richard embodies Vanderbilt’s values of excellence and fairness. He is a scholar who is committed to every aspect of our education mission."
McCarty, who received his bachelor’s degree in biology and master’s degree in zoology from Old Dominion University before earning a Ph.D. from The Johns Hopkins University, is an authority on the physiological and behavioral aspects of stress. A native of Portsmouth, Va., he spent two years as a research associate in pharmacology with the National Institute of Mental Health before joining the University of Virginia in 1978 as an assistant professor of psychology, rising to department chair before taking a leave of absence to join the American Psychological Association as executive director for science. He has published more than 150 articles and 30 chapters in edited volumes and has edited eight volumes relating to his research interests. He has served as editor of American Psychologist and as founding editor-in-chief of Stress and is a fellow of several scientific societies, including the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, the Society of Behavioral Medicine, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
"I am deeply grateful to Chancellor Zeppos for this extraordinary opportunity to serve the Vanderbilt community as its provost," McCarty said. "I will do my best to live up to the high standards established by Nick during his service as provost over the past seven years. I love this institution and its faculty, staff and students and I am humbled by this appointment."
McCarty has led the College of Arts and Science during one of the most important periods in its history. Under his direction, Vanderbilt embarked on a significant faculty recruitment initiative; undergraduate student quality, diversity and selectivity ranked among the highest in the country; graduate student enrollment and diversity increased dramatically; and a number of new facilities were dedicated, including the E. Bronson Ingram Studio Arts Center and the renovated and expanded Buttrick Hall.
As provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs, McCarty will have responsibility for academic programs (including Blair School of Music, the College of Arts and Science, the Divinity School, the School of Engineering, the Graduate School, the Law School, the Owen Graduate School of Management and Peabody College of education and human development), student affairs, housing, admissions and financial aid, and research.
Carolyn Dever, executive dean of the College of Arts and Science and professor of English, will serve as interim dean of the College of Arts and Science while the university undertakes a national search for a permanent replacement for McCarty.
Vanderbilt University, founded in 1873, is a private research university with more than 11,000 students. It is one of Tennessee’s largest employers with more than 22,000 employees. It has been consistently ranked as one of the nation’s top 20 universities.
Media Contact: Jim Patterson, (615) 322-NEWS
jim.patterson@vanderbilt.edu