University Leadership Council

The University Leadership Council was created by Wayne State President Kimberly Andrews Espy, Ph.D., and supported by Provost and Executive 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 Executive 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

Charles Cotton

Vice Provost for Strategic Enrollment

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

Darryl Gardner

Vice Provost for Student Success, Support, and Engagement

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

Christine Jackson

Vice Provost for Partnerships and Workforce

Hayden Johnson

President, Student Senate

Virginia Franke Kleist

Dean, Mike Ilitch School of Business

Sheryl Kubiak

Dean, School of Social Work

Patrick O. Lindsey

Community Affairs Vice President

Julie Miller

University Secretary and Executive Officer to the Board of Governors

Donyale Padgett

Interim Vice Provost for Inclusive Excellence

Elena Past

Interim Dean, Irvin D. Reid Honors College

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

Special Associate for Public Health Planning

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