Provost Kirk, as chief academic officer and dean of the faculty, is responsible for the planning, development and delivery of the Colleges’ educational programs and services. The Provost works with the faculty on curricular management and operations, supports faculty initiatives and development, and supervises academic support offices and centers of the Colleges. Provost Kirk started at the Colleges in June 2021.
Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs and Development
Associate Provost Metz provides support for faculty affairs and development for the Office of Academic and Faculty Affairs. He oversees new faculty orientation, faculty development, the summer research program, JTerm/Maymester, and supports department/program chairs. He serves as the primary contact for faculty members regarding developmental and procedural matters, triennial assessment projects, and program reviews. Additionally, he regularly works with various institutional offices including Sponsored Research, Advancement, and Admissions, to assist faculty and the institution broadly. Metz is a tenured member and Professor of the Geoscience Department and has been at the Colleges since 2011.
Associate Provost, Academic Faculty Affairs and Strategic Development
Associate Provost Pliner serves as Dean of First-Year Academic Programs and Dean of Graduate Programs, supporting faculty in advising, course development, and building inclusive learning environments. She oversees the following experiential academic centers: Center for Teaching and Learning, Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning, Centennial Center for Leadership, and Bozzuto Center for Entrepreneurship. Additionally, she facilitates transfer articulation agreements, reporting on institutional effectiveness and serves as Disability Coordinator for Faculty, Co-Chair of Retention Task Force. Pliner teaches in Educational Studies, First-Year Seminar Program, Master’s in Management, and the Master's in Higher Education Leadership and has been at HWS since 2006.
Gassert conducts internal research for the Institution's academic and administrative leaders to support data-informed decision making. He also oversees the reporting of institutional data to governmental agencies and supports the assessment of academic and co-curricular programs and initiatives. Gassert has been at the Colleges since 2017.
Katherine oversees institutional compliance with our accrediting body, NECHE; leads the creation and submission of materials for review; coordinates site visits; and guides our community toward articulating and refining our shared vision.
assessment of academic and co-curricular programs and initiatives. Gassert has been at the Colleges since 2017.
New York 6 Mellon Fellow, Special Assistant to the Provost, and Co-Chair of Accreditation
In this three-year position, Associate Professor Free will work with OAFA and various offices across campus to develop and implement projects that support equity at the colleges. To that end, Professor Free will engage in assessment, research, and policy writing, with a focus on faculty rights and responsibilities. As well, Professor Free will co-chair the college’s accreditation work with NECHE. As a mentee in the Office of Academic and Faculty Affairs, Professor Free will also learn the principles of academic administration at the Colleges and in higher education more broadly.
Weaver supports the Provost on faculty personnel matters, including the maintenance of faculty compensation, planning, and budgeting. She maintains official records on the faculty regarding hiring, tenure and promotion, faculty bylaws, faculty handbook, and sabbatical and leave time. Additionally, she coordinates materials for staffing plans, enrollment management, academic program reviews, and endowment reports. Weaver has been at the Colleges since 2007.
As the Assistant to the Provost, Furgeson is responsible for the operational budget including faculty travel and research grants of the Office and for course evaluations for First-Year Seminars and the Bidisciplinary Programs. She serves as the office manager and scheduler for the Office of Academic and Faculty Affairs and assists the Provost with endowment and grant management. Additionally, she supervises the Academic Department Coordinators. Furgeson has been at the Colleges since 2018.
2025-26 FACULTY PRIZE RECIPIENTS
Faculty Prize in Teaching
Associate Professor of Chemistry Christine de Denus
