Missouri State names interim provost

Dr. Tamera Jahnke will serve as interim provost of Missouri State University from Dec. 21 until a permanent provost begins. Jahnke is the dean of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences (CNAS).

Current Provost Dr. John Jasinski announced in early December that he'll retire on Feb. 1. His last day in the office is Dec. 20. He'll use accrued leave until his retirement date.

"Dr. Jasinski has made lasting contributions to Missouri State University during his tenure as provost, particularly in unifying our academic affairs initiatives," said Missouri State President Dr. Richard B. Williams.

"While we will miss his leadership, we are fortunate to have Dr. Tamera Jahnke step into this crucial role. Her service to our university and extensive leadership experience make her exceptionally qualified to guide our academic affairs forward during this transition period."

Dr. Jorge Rebaza-Vasquez will serve as interim dean of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences while Jahnke serves as interim provost.

"I am deeply honored to accept the role of interim provost and am committed to serving Missouri State University with humility, integrity and dedication," said Jahnke.

Information about Jahnke, Rebaza-Vasquez

Jahnke has served as CNAS dean since 2006. She also served as department head of chemistry for nine years and as acting associate provost for one year. She has been a member of the chemistry faculty since 1986.

Jahnke is an organic chemist, and her research interests have been in lipid peroxidation products, antiviral drug synthesis and spectroscopic analysis of organic molecules. She earned her bachelor's and PhD degrees from the University of Iowa.

Rebaza-Vasquez has been associate dean of CNAS since 2021. He started at MSU in 2002 as an assistant professor in mathematics. He has a PhD from Georgia Institute of Technology and a master's from the University of Kaiserslauterm in Germany.

Search continues for permanent provost

Missouri State began the search for provost this fall. More than 60 candidates have applied for the position.

The search committee, headed by Brad Bodenhausen and Dr. Marjorie Shavers, will select semifinalists this month and will conduct first-round interviews in January. Finalists will be on campus in February.

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