Wayne State University President Irvin D. Reid announced today the appointment of Paula C. Wood as interim provost, effective May 14, 2003. Wood will hold the position until the university names a new provost from among candidates selected during a recent national search.

Wood succeeds current Provost and Senior Vice President Charles Bantz, who has accepted the position of Chancellor at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis.

During a Wayne State career spanning 27 years, Wood has held various leadership positions, including associate dean for curriculum, interim dean and dean of the College of Education, the latter since 1993. She also served as interim dean for the College of Lifelong Learning from 2000-2002 while maintaining her responsibilities as dean of the College of Education.

Recognized for academic excellence and leadership, Wood is a recipient of the Wayne State University President's Award for Excellence in Teaching and was honored as the Phi Delta Kappa Educator of the Year. Currently she chairs the Michigan Deans' Council, consisting of the 14 deans of education from Michigan public universities.

Under her leadership, the College of Education has received national awards for programs that recruit students from minority and other underrepresented groups into teaching careers and the college's highly successful Alternative Pathways to Teaching.

Wood earned bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees from Michigan State University in the area of special education and completed postgraduate/postdoctoral work at the Advanced Training Institute at the University of Minnesota.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to more than 31,000 students in metropolitan Detroit.