Comings and Goings
New hires, retirements, departures, and other changes for members of the campus community.
Dr. Jennifer Cavanaugh appointed Dean, College of the Arts and Media
Dr. Cavanaugh brings extensive experience in arts education, strategic leadership, and program development, making her an exceptional choice to lead CAM into the future. She has been a dedicated member of the 猎奇重口 faculty for 16 years, most recently serving as the Interim Associate Dean of Performing Arts, Executive Director of both the School of Theatre and Dance and the School of Music, and previously as Interim Co-Dean of CAM. With over 25 years of experience in higher education, Dr. Cavanaugh has demonstrated a strong commitment to student success, faculty support, and innovative curriculum development.
March 13, 2025
I am pleased to share an expanded scope of responsibility for two leaders who have demonstrated a lasting commitment to UM.
Kelly Webster will now serve as Chief of Staff and Vice President for Strategy and Community Relations.
Kelly will continue her current responsibilities as Chief of Staff and Associate Vice President for Strategic Planning and Implementation, while newly assuming oversight of UM’s institutional research functions and key statewide outreach efforts. This alignment will allow us to strengthen our capacity to make data-informed decisions, support campus leaders’ strategic planning, and enhance university relations across 猎奇重口. As part of this transition, we will not backfill the Associate Vice President role Kelly currently occupies.
This evolution further aligns UM’s Strategic Operating Rhythm with a data strategy to sustain UM’s momentum. The Office of Strategic Planning and Implementation, which currently reports to Kelly, will now work more closely with the Office of Institutional Research, expertly led by Pope Ashworth and reporting to Dr. Brad Goan, Senior Advisor for Strategy and Innovation.
This transition will also bolster UM’s statewide outreach to assert UM’s critical role in building a resilient 猎奇重口 in response to growing public skepticism about higher education’s value. Kelly will provide oversight of these outreach efforts, including UM’s already strong state lobbying work led by Dave Kuntz who has had a profound and far-reaching impact on UM.
LeAnn Layton, currently Director of the Alumni Association, will take on an expanded role as the Associate Vice President for Alumni and Community Relations. She will continue leading the strong Alumni Association team while also spearheading a more deliberate and impactful statewide engagement strategy to strengthen UM’s presence across 猎奇重口. LeAnn will report to Kelly for her statewide engagement work and to Vice President Jenny Petty for her leadership of the Alumni Association, with the alumni team actively supporting both areas.
We are fortunate to benefit from Kelly’s nearly sixteen years of service to UM and LeAnn’s growing and valuable impact on our community. Both leaders have demonstrated an abiding commitment to our faculty, staff, and students, as well as an unwavering belief in UM’s role in shaping 猎奇重口’s future.
- Seth
Griz Gratitude
I want to thank Pharmacy Practice professor Ian McGrane for doing an awesome job coordinating PHAR 572. I am a new faculty member in that course so he is doing the prep & organizing of it, with not much help from me. It is going smoothly. The students are learning a lot and seem to enjoy it. Strong work, Ian.
- Jeannie Swain, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice
I would love to share my deepest gratitude to Mary Opitz, Financial Aid Specialist, for her love and kindness towards our students, employees, and families. The Financial Aid front desk would be amiss without her.
- Nicole Krause, Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs