Wayne State University President M. Roy Wilson named Mark L. Kornbluh provost and senior vice president for Academic Affairs, he announced in an email to the campus community Monday.

Kornbluh has a strong background in history and education, and has held multiple administrative and staff positions at notable universities across the country, including Rice University and University of California, Berkeley, Wilson said. 

The search to fill this position began in September 2020, with the provost search committee considering many qualified candidates, Wilson said. He selected Kornbluh from the committee’s finalists.

Wilson also thanked former Interim Provost Laurie Lauzon Clabo for serving in the absence of a permanent replacement. Clabo was appointed interim provost in August 2020, following the departure of former provost Keith Whitfield to serve as University of Nevada, Las Vegas president.

“Interim provost is not an easy role to fill, but Laurie served in the midst of a pandemic, guiding the university through truly uncharted waters,” Wilson said. “With wise and thoughtful guidance, she has provided incredible leadership, and our university is clearly better for it. She has my deepest gratitude, which I know is shared by the university community.”

Clabo will return to her previous position as dean of the College of Nursing, Wilson said. 

The official decision regarding Kornbluh’s new position will be made at Friday’s Board of Governors meeting, Wilson said.

 Alanna Williams is a correspondent for The South End. She can be reached at alannawilliams@wayne.edu.

Cover photo by Quinn Banks, multimedia editor for The South End. He can be reached at multimediaeditortse@gmail.com.