VCU news

By Brian McNeill

Montserrat (Montse) Fuentes, Ph.D., dean of the College of Humanities and Sciences, has accepted the position of executive vice president and provost of the University of Iowa, effective June 28.

“Although this is a loss for the university as a whole and the college in particular, it is a tremendous opportunity for Dean Fuentes and is indicative of the stellar quality of our leadership and the recognition of VCU on a national stage,” said Gail Hackett, Ph.D., provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.

Fuentes, who became dean on July 1, 2016, joined VCU from North Carolina State University, where she served as the head of the Department of Statistics and James M. Goodnight Distinguished Professor of Statistics. She also served as center director for the Research Network for Statistical Methods for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, a research collaborative funded by the National Science Foundation.

She received a dual bachelor’s degree in mathematics and music (piano) from the University of Valladolid in Spain and a Ph.D. in statistics from the University of Chicago.

At VCU, Fuentes also served as a professor in the Department of Statistical Sciences and Operations Research, as well as professor of biostatistics in the School of Medicine. In addition, she served on the University Council, the Academic Affairs and University Policy Committee, co-chaired the University Strategic Planning Committee, and was a member of the University Budget Committee and the Steering Committee for Budget Redesign.

Fuentes will continue her duties as dean through the end of the academic year. An interim dean will be appointed in the coming weeks, and VCU will launch a search for a new dean later this year.