Dear Faculty and Staff,
I’m writing to announce that John Cornwell, associate vice president of Institutional Effectiveness and Institutional Research, is retiring from Rice at the end of the year, ending a long and productive career with the university.
John joined Rice in 2007 to lead the university’s newly established Office of Institutional Effectiveness. He is a leader in university accreditation and has transformed this process at Rice. In 2018, he assumed responsibility for the Office of Institutional Research, which is now part of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness.
During his tenure, John has successfully created a strong team that serves the university by:
- Reporting data to internal constituencies and external agencies and organizations
- Monitoring and ensuring compliance with accreditation requirements
- Managing and administering surveys to collect data from the campus community
- Conducting analytic work to answer strategic questions to assist campus decisionmakers
John also chairs Rice’s Institutional Review Board, which ensures proper oversight of research projects that involve human subjects and verifies compliance with the complex system of federal regulations for this type of research. In addition, he is an adviser to the undergraduate and graduate curriculum committees. In 2012, the Rice Board of Trustees recognized John for his leadership and contributions to the university.
John is known for being a caring and compassionate supervisor who encourages his employees to step out of their comfort zones, expand their skills and become even better at what they do. He provides opportunities for career development as well as encourages his staff to take time for themselves and their families.
I appreciate all of John’s contributions to Rice and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors, which in January will take him to Barnard College, where he will be associate provost of Institutional Effectiveness.
One of the country's premier executive search firms, Isaacson, Miller, will lead the search for a new associate provost for Institutional Research and Institutional Effectiveness. The search committee members are:
- Co-chair Rachel Kimbro, dean, School of Social Sciences
- Co-chair David Tenney, registrar
- Margaret Beier, professor, Psychological Sciences
- Shelah Crear, associate dean, Student Success Initiatives
- Mia Culton, budget director, Budget Office
- Renata Ramos, associate dean of academic affairs, School of Engineering
- Yvonne Romero da Silva, vice president, Office of Enrollment
- Rebecca Salinas, lead compensation and data analyst, Human Resources
- Matt Taylor, associate provost
If you have questions or know someone who would be a good fit for this position, please reach out to the chairs of the search committee.
Warm Regards,
Howard Hughes Provost Amy Dittmar