Wichita State has announced its newest provost. Monica Lounsbery will replace Shirley Lefever, as the latter retires. The change will go into effect on Jan 5.

Lounsbery comes from California State University Long Beach where she worked as the dean of the College of Health and Human Services. 

She previously served as an associate dean for Faculty Affairs in the School of Medicine at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. She also served in vice and associate provost and department chair positions.

Lounsbery said that she wants to continue the emphasis on partnerships with businesses through the Biomedical Campus and expressed her desire to have the campus be a driving force in the process of changing health care in the country. 

She also discussed the importance of having a strategic plan, so that the university is able to grow and so administration is able to think strategically about how to achieve the growth goals.