University Leadership Council
The University Leadership Council was created by Wayne State President Kimberly Andrews Espy, Ph.D., and supported by Provost and Sr. Vice President for Academic Affairs Laurie M. Lauzon Clabo, to promote deeper connections and articulation between the work of executive and academic leaders and include and consider important shared governance perspectives.
Roles and responsibilities
- Facilitate institutional, enterprise thinking across executive and academic leadership to advance the university as a whole.
- Provide a venue for collective consideration and vetting of important operational matters from multiple perspectives, including that of our shared governance colleagues.
- Advance process improvements through consideration of campus administrative and operational practices.
- Provide input into institutional leadership initiatives such as planning, implementation and evaluation, and disseminate information from and/or gaining input into the ongoing activities and work of the executive teams.
- Assist in prioritizing initiatives and building consensus about overall campus needs, actions and outcomes.
- Intentionally link the work of the Council of Deans and the executive teams.
Fundamental to the council's work and undergirding our leadership efforts is our commitment to deep and broad engagement with our communities, as well as our fundamental lens and shared action to promote diversity, equity and inclusion.
The council, chaired by Provost Clabo, is scheduled to meet twice a month.
Laurie M. Lauzon Clabo
Provost and Sr. Vice President for Academic Affairs
Ezemenari Obasi
Vice President for Research
Ali Abolmaali
Dean, College of Engineering
Boris Baltes
Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs & Academic Personnel
Denise Taliaferro Baszile
Dean, College of Education
Linda Beale
President, Academic Senate
Ramona Benkert
Dean, College of Nursing
Richard Bierschbach
Dean, Law School
Paul Bracke
Dean, University Libraries and the School of Information Sciences
Amanda Bryant-Friedrich
Dean, Graduate School
John Corvino
Dean, Irvin D. Reid Honors College
Brian Cummings
Dean, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences
Rob Davenport
Associate Vice President for Facilities Planning and Management
Hasan Elahi
Dean, College of Fine, Performing and Communication Arts
Ahmad M. Ezzeddine
Senior Vice Provost for Partnerships, Workforce & International Initiatives
Bethany Gielczyk
Senior Vice President for Finance and Business Affairs, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
Carolyn Hafner
Associate Vice President for Human Resources
Stephanie Hartwell
Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Hayden Johnson
President, Student Senate
Virginia Franke Kleist
Dean, Mike Ilitch School of Business
Sheryl Kubiak
Dean, School of Social Work
Patrick O. Lindsey
Vice President for Government and Community Affairs
Julie Miller
University Secretary and Executive Officer to the Board of Governors
Michael Poterala
Vice President and General Counsel
David Ripple
Vice President for Development and Alumni Affairs and President, Wayne State University Foundation
Wael Sakr
Dean, School of Medicine
Mark Schweitzer
Vice President for Health Affairs
Melissa Smiley
Chief of Staff and University Relations Officer
Ned Staebler
Vice President for Economic Development
Rob Thompson
Acting Vice President for Enterprise Planning and Operational Excellence
Erika Wallace
Director of Athletics