Michigan State University Interim President Teresa K. Woodruff, Ph.D., will recommend MSU senior associate provost Thomas D. Jeitschko to serve as interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs while she serves as interim president. Jeitschko will serve as interim provost designee until his appointment goes before the MSU Board of Trustees for consideration at its December meeting.
In his role as senior associate provost, Jeitschko helped guide the budgeting process of the Office of the Provost and oversaw Office of the Provost communications and events, Institutional Research, and Institutional Space Planning and Management, as well as the Apple Developer Academy, Student Information System project, and ethics initiative. He also served as the provost’s liaison to the Budget Subcommittee of the University Committee on Faculty Affairs, where he consulted with, listened to, and engaged with faculty on the university’s academic budget allocations and the annual salary adjustment process.
“With his experience as senior associate provost, Dr. Jeitschko is well-positioned to guide and continue Office of the Provost priorities and initiatives along their current, upward trajectories,” said Woodruff. “He will be an outstanding leader during this time of transition, providing stability while acting with agility.”
Prior to assuming his senior associate provost role, Jeitschko served as senior advisor to the provost, and as acting provost.
“I am honored to step into this role and support the mission of the Office of the Provost and its commitments to academic excellence and student success,” said Jeitschko. “My close work with Interim President Woodruff in her role as provost, and with the daily workings of the responsibilities of the office, enable me to hit the ground running, with the knowledge and context to not only maintain the momentum of current activities, but expand them in support of aspirations on the horizon.”
Jeitschko is a professor of economics who previously served as the director of the American Economic Association Summer Program, a two-month intensive pre-doctoral, residential program that prepares talented undergraduate students from under-represented backgrounds for graduate work in economics and related fields. He holds an advanced degree from the University of Münster in Germany in economic history and a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in mathematical economics. His research interests are in applied economic theory, including game theory, industrial organization, law and economics.
As dean of the Graduate School, he oversaw the development of a comprehensive strategic plan around graduate education that prioritizes student success; diversity, equity, and inclusion; mentoring; and strategic assessment of graduate programs. He also oversaw the creation and institution of the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.
An accomplished scholar, Jeitschko has published in a wide variety of journals and served on multiple editorial boards. He has also worked at the U.S. Department of Justice, often advises state attorneys general offices throughout the U.S., and has been retained by the U.S. Department of Justice as an expert.