President Valerie Smith recently announced that Professor of Computer Science Rich Wicentowski will serve as the next provost and dean of the faculty of Swarthmore College, effective July 1.

“Rich has consistently demonstrated his deep commitment to Swarthmore’s mission,” Smith said in a message to the community. “Rich’s openness to different viewpoints and thoughtful, collaborative approach will serve the community well as we make our way through this period of uncertainty and significant challenges.”

Wicentowski is a highly respected scholar and teacher whose research focuses on natural language processing, including computational morphology and semantic disambiguation — areas centered on how computers learn to understand and work with human languages. Since joining the faculty in 2002, Wicentowski has held numerous leadership roles and has served on several standing faculty committees, including as a current member of the Faculty Compensation Committee and the Committee on Faculty Procedures (COFP).

He also sits on the Swarthmore Forward Implementation Advisory Committee and is the faculty advisor for the men’s and women’s swimming teams. Wicentowski chaired the Computer Science Department twice, and in 2013, he served a three-year term as associate provost. He graduated from Rutgers University with honors before earning an M.S. from the University of Pittsburgh and a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University.

“I appreciate that this is a challenging time to step into a senior leadership role at Swarthmore,” said Wicentowski. “But I also see real opportunities for our community to come together to address those challenges. This will require building trust among and between faculty, staff, and students, which includes treating each other with respect and empathy. We won’t always agree, but we must work across our differences and lean into our shared interest of advancing the mission of the College.”

Wicentowski replaces Kathleen Howard, the Edward Hicks Magill Professor of Mathematics & Natural Sciences and professor of chemistry & biochemistry, who has served as acting provost and dean of the faculty throughout this past academic year. 

“Kathleen approached the role with curiosity and grace, and Swarthmore is a better place because of her thoughtful and steady leadership. I extend my deepest thanks to Kathleen and the entire Provost’s Office for helping the College through this period of transition,” Smith said in her message to the community.  

As principal academic officer of the College, the provost and dean of the faculty oversees the curriculum and the faculty. All academic departments report to the provost, as do the Libraries; Athletics, Physical Education & Recreation; and Information Technology Services. The provost chairs the Council on Educational Policy and the Curriculum Committee and is a member of COFP and the Committee on Promotion and Tenure, among others. The provost works with department chairs on appointments, reappointments, and tenure and promotion decisions; develops budgets for the academic programs; provides faculty with opportunities for professional development as scholars and teachers; and proposes, evaluates, and implements curricular changes.