Meet John T. Fourkas, Interim Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs
John T. Fourkas joined OFA as the Interim Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs on July 1. John has extensive experience with faculty affairs on campus, having served on the Campus APT Committee for three years (two as co-Chair of one of the sub-committees), and as the Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs in the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (CMNS) for three and a half years. For two and a half years in CMNS, he was also the Associate Dean for Graduate Education. Previously, in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, he spent three years as the Associate Chair for the Graduate Programs. He holds the Millard Alexander Chair in Chemistry, and has a joint appointment in the Institute for Physical Science & Technology.
In his Department, John was responsible for creating courses in professional skills for new graduate students, so that they could hit the ground running. The Graduate School is now using his ideas as a framework for other units. He also oversaw the revision of Departmental Appointment, Promotion and Tenure (APT) criteria and the creation of an APT Oversight committee to help provide uniform, broadly defined, and equitable promotion and tenure opportunities for all tenure-track faculty in Chemistry & Biochemistry. These criteria have served as a model for other units within CMNS. Additionally, John spearheaded an effort to separate mentoring activities from assessment activities for junior faculty in Chemistry & Biochemistry. In CMNS, he reactivated the Graduate Student Council and facilitated the creation of a standalone position for an Associate Dean for Graduate Education, after recognizing the need for a dedicated focus on graduate education at the college level.
Beyond his service to the University, John is a dedicated researcher and educator. He is the recipient of the Regents Faculty Award for Research, Scholarship and Creative Activity, the CMNS Dean’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, and the University Distinguished Scholar Teacher Award. He has been a research mentor to dozens of undergraduate and graduate students, as well as numerous postdoctoral fellows.
John is dedicated to the advancement of all faculty at our university. He promotes training, opportunities, and policies that help faculty to reach their potential. As a husband and father, he also appreciates maintaining work-life balance while striving toward professional accomplishment. As a supervisor of staff, the father of a Terp alum, and a research mentor, he understands, appreciates, and supports the role that faculty play in our university community.