Dr. Abbey Zink was named Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs effective July 2023. Dr. Zink acts as the university’s Chief Academic Officer and serves as the institutional leader in the president’s absence.
As the second-ranking officer of the university, Dr. Zink provides
A first-generation college graduate, Dr. Abbey Zink has devoted her career to paying forward the transformational experience that she had as an undergraduate at a regional comprehensive university. She has served in academic leadership roles on campuses ranging from 5,500 to 20,000 students in rural and urban environments and at a Hispanic Serving Institution. These roles have included Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania; Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX; Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Texas A&M University-Kingsville; and Interim Dean and Assistant Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, CT.
Dr. Zink is an alum of the Academy for Innovative Higher Education Leadership as well as the AASCU Academy for New Provosts. While a dean, she served as treasurer and board member of the Council of Colleges of Arts and Sciences. Dr. Zink earned her doctorate in English at Northern Illinois University and her M.A. in English and B.A. in journalism at Marshall University.
Dr. Zink is deeply committed to providing learning environments where all students may thrive. In service of this goal, she has created numerous internal and external partnerships. At Sam Houston State University, she focused her efforts on preparing liberal arts students for the job market through college-specific career workshops for graduating seniors, increasing internship opportunities and other applied experiences, and working collaboratively with Career Services. At Texas A&M University-Kingsville, she partnered with LULAC Council #1 Foundation to create the Tejano Civil Rights Museum in Corpus Christi, TX. Early in her career, at Western Connecticut State University, she coordinated a K-16 partnership with two local school systems to decrease the need for remediation in writing and math.
If you would like to know more about the Provost or to invite her to your event, please contact us or fill out the meeting/event request form.