January 8, 2024
Steve Perez, President
I am pleased to announce that Leslie Cornick, dean of the School of Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) for the University of Washington Bothell, has accepted the position of provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at Chico State. Cornick will begin her position on January 31, 2024.
As STEM dean at UW Bothell, Cornick brought together a strong leadership team and encouraged a culture of inclusive engagement that supported both faculty and staff in achieving the mission and vision of the university, a regional public campus that, like Chico, serves a diverse student population. She created multiple student success initiatives and worked to improve academic pathways and to develop wraparound services for students.
Cornick also serves as the president of the Council of Colleges of Arts & Sciences and has facilitated national workshops for deans in budget management and resource development, forecasting and long-term planning, philanthropy, and critical conversations. She has extensive experience in enrollment management and curriculum development as well as in cultivating, with faculty, academic programming that is accessible and relevant.
Prior to joining UW Bothell in 2020, Cornick spent three years as associate dean at Eastern Washington University. She also was founding dean of Research and Sponsored Programs, department chair, and director of the Marine Physiological Ecology Laboratory at Alaska Pacific University. She has taught in the classroom at Alaska Pacific and Connecticut College.
Cornick brings an extraordinary record of success. I am confident she will take Chico State to high levels of performance and strengthen our culture and community. Her experience in data-informed budget development and creation of diverse revenue streams with regional partners will serve our campus well as we face challenges ahead.
Upon her appointment to this position here, Cornick said, “I couldn’t be more delighted to join Chico State at this critical time and work in community and collaboration with President Perez and the faculty, staff, and students to take Academic Affairs at Chico State to new heights. Coming to Chico feels like coming home in so many ways. I’m incredibly grateful for the warm welcome I’ve felt already and for this incredible opportunity.”
Thank you to members of the search committee for their hard work and commitment throughout the fall semester and to members of the campus community who participated in the finalist interviews and survey. Please join me in congratulating Leslie Cornick and giving her a warm Chico welcome.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge Terence Lau, who has served as interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs for the past six months. I have a tremendous amount of respect and gratitude for Terence, who has provided steady guidance and bold leadership during this time of transition. Terence will assist Leslie with her transition into the provost position and will return to faculty in the College of Business in the fall 2024 semester. After 10 years of administrative service, he is very much looking forward to returning to the classroom and restarting his scholarly inquiry and writing.
