New provost, dean of the faculty enjoys blue-sky debut

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Douglas A. Hicks, Colgate’s next provost and dean of the faculty, enjoyed a warm welcome earlier this week when he visited campus for the first time since his appointment as the university’s top academic official.

Though his start date is nearly five months away, unseasonably mild temperatures and blue skies made it seem as though July 1 might be just around the corner.

“We’re really excited to be coming to Colgate,” Hicks said. “I appreciate the hospitality, particularly of the faculty who have been so welcoming to me and to my family. Come July, we’ll jump right in.”

Hicks, who also was appointed professor of religion, met with various members of the faculty and administration, and attended a meeting of the president’s staff. The Tuesday afternoon welcome reception in his honor drew more than 150 people to Merrill House.

“It has been a real pleasure to begin working with Doug to begin the transition process,” said Bruce Selleck, interim provost and dean of the faculty and Harold Orville Whitnall Professor of geology.

“We are committed to making the process as seamless as possible. Colgate is fortunate to have talented and experienced staff in the dean’s office, and those folks will also be critical to Doug in the months ahead.”

Hicks will to move to Hamilton with his wife, Catherine Bagwell, who will serve as professor of psychology, and his children Noah, 8, and Ada, 5. Bagwell studies developmental psychopathology and is a coauthor of Medicating Children: ADHD and the Politics of Mental Health.

Hicks joins Colgate after 13 years at the University of Richmond, where he currently serves as professor of leadership studies and religion in the Jepson School of Leadership Studies. He is the author of four books, and has been published widely on both academic presses and the popular media.

To contact Hicks directly, write to dhicks@colgate.edu.