Amy Thompson, Ph.D., named Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at Oakland University

Oakland University has announced the appointment of Amy Thompson, Ph.D., as executive vice president for academic affairs and provost pending approval by its Board of Trustees. She will begin her tenure effective May 19, 2025.

With 20 years of higher education experience, Thompson currently serves as provost and senior vice president of academic affairs at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. She was selected to become OU’s chief academic officer following a national search that welcomed 116 candidates from public and private universities across the country and the world.

Thompson will take the place of Interim Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Kevin Corcoran, who has filled the position for six months since the departure of former Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Britt Rios-Ellis.

Oakland University President Ora Hirsch Pescovitz said it was the outstanding breadth of Thompson’s experience and the quality of her accomplishments that singled her out as the best fit for OU’s next provost.

“From student success and community engagement to diversity, equity and inclusion and from grant funding to program accreditation and assessment, the role of Provost is an incredibly demanding one,” Pescovitz explained.

“Dr. Thompson has demonstrated that she can lead teams in a collaborative manner toward success in all of these areas, and we look forward to seeing the benefits that her motivational leadership will bring to Oakland University. 

At Wright State, Thompson oversaw efforts to increase grant funding by 18% in a single year and to secure millions of dollars in grants to fund student completion scholarships. She also collaborated with the university’s enrollment management team to increase new student enrollment by 44% over three years.

Thompson created college and university retention committees that contributed to increased first-year retention rates of 5.5%, as well as implemented an array of student success measures that decreased failing grades by 4% over two years.

At the University of Toledo, she served as University Faculty Senate President, where she led shared governance efforts.

“I was drawn to Oakland University because of the mission of the institution and its goal of having an impact and transforming not only student’s lives but the region,” Thompson said. “The university community truly values being a steward of place and engaging student learning in the process. This mission speaks to my own professional values and passion for improving the human condition.”

Glenn McIntosh, OU’s Senior Vice President of Student Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer chaired the university’s 19-member search committee. He said he and fellow committee members were thrilled to see such broad interest in the university’s open provost position.

“The fact that we were able to attract so many highly qualified candidates and a finalist of this caliber says a great deal about Oakland’s status as a university of choice,” he said. “We are delighted to welcome Dr. Amy Thompson as Oakland University's new provost, and we are confident in her ability to lead and inspire our academic community.”