Dr. Laurie Sharp Named UVU Associate Provost for Academic Programs and Assessment

Utah Valley University is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Laurie Sharp as Associate Provost for Academic Programs and Assessment.

   

Utah Valley University is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Laurie Sharp as Associate Provost for Academic Programs and Assessment.  

Dr. Sharp is an experienced teacher-scholar and administrator who has served in K-12 public schools and both two- and four-year public colleges and universities for nearly two decades. Sharp holds an Associate of Arts from Daytona State College, both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary education from the University of Central Florida, and a Doctor of Education in educational leadership from Tarleton State University. Sharp began her own journey in higher education as a non-traditional student and has demonstrated an enthusiastic commitment to academic excellence; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and student success at all levels of education throughout her distinguished academic career.

In a letter to the search committee, Sharp expressed her interest in UVU’s future:

“It is clear that Utah Valley University is committed to transformational change and has positioned itself to move forward in an exciting direction,” she wrote. “I see great possibilities ahead and would be honored to join a talented university community.”

Sharp is coming from Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas, a rapidly growing institution that recently attained the prestigious R2 Carnegie Classification and moved to NCAA Division I as a member of the Western Athletic Conference. At Tarleton, Sharp held three leadership positions within Academic Administration in the Office of the Provost and served as an associate professor in the College of Education. She also served as the founding dean of University College and the inaugural assistant dean of Undergraduate Studies for First- and Second-Year Experience.

Sharp’s most recent leadership role was as the inaugural assistant vice president of Strategic Academic Initiatives, where she developed new academic initiatives, managed initiatives stemming from proposed academic programming, and developed faculty and staff members who held responsibilities for academic initiatives once they became part of university operations. Along with managing academic initiatives, Sharp oversaw assessment efforts for institutional effectiveness within the Division of Academic Affairs and led the development and implementation of Tarleton’s Quality Enhancement Plan – all required components to maintain accreditation with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Prior to her leadership roles, Sharp served as the Dr. John G. O’Brien Distinguished Chair in Education, an endowed faculty position at West Texas A&M University, a Hispanic-serving institution located in Canyon, Texas. Sharp also served as an assistant professor in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at Tarleton State University and as a classroom teacher in Florida and Texas public schools.

Along with teaching, Sharp has been active in scholarship and service activities over the course of her career. Sharp has individually and collaboratively secured over $4 million in grant funding, published more than 100 works, and presented at many local, state, and national conferences. She has also engaged as a leader in service work with state- and national-level professional organizations for education and literacy professionals, including the Texas Association for Literacy Education, Specialized Literacy Professionals, and the International Literacy Association. Sharp has received several awards that recognize her significant accomplishments in teaching, scholarship, and service.

Sharp is known as a dynamic and energetic colleague who works effectively with all stakeholders. She shared, “I believe that higher education institutions have a great responsibility to prepare all students for their professional and personal lives. I am thrilled for the opportunity to join the UVU team in Academic Affairs and work collaboratively to support students and faculty and staff members to positively impact the entire university community and beyond. It is an honor and privilege to be a part of such important and life-changing work.”