Eight months after Kevin Whitaker announced his plans to retire from his position as executive vice president and provost, James Dalton has been selected to fill the position. 

The University launched the search in November after announcing a committee led by vice president for research and economic development Russ Mumper. 

“Dr. Dalton brings tremendous depth of knowledge and qualifications to this role,” said UA President Stuart Bell in a UA News release. “He garnered support from many because of his experience at leading public research universities, his stellar academic credentials and his entrepreneurial expertise.”

Dalton is set to fill this role August 1, pending approval by the Board of Trustees. 

He currently serves as dean and professor in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Michigan. Since 1992, he has held an array of professorial positions at the University of Tennessee, as well as his alma mater, The Ohio State University. He earned his doctorate in pharmaceutics and pharmaceutical chemistry and spent time as a postdoctoral fellow at OSU. 

Outside his experience in higher education, Dalton took a two-year entrepreneurial leave of absence from OSU to serve as vice president of preclinical research and development at GTx, Inc., a pharmaceutical company in Memphis, Tennessee. 

His professional experience includes a recent election to the National Academy of Medicine in 2019 and memberships in more than a dozen professional organizations. 

During Dalton’s virtual presentation on April 13, hosted by Mumper and made available to all students, faculty and staff, he highlighted his leadership roles at a university, community and professional level. 

At the University of Michigan, Dalton said he studied and corrected gender-based pay inequities, implemented a diversity, equity and inclusion strategic plan, and revised the tenure and promotion policy. 

He said his strategic goals as provost are to promote the value of higher education and the role of public universities in local communities; foster commitment to a student-centered university; create and sustain an inclusive environment; bolster research and entrepreneurship; foster communication and facilitate collaboration. 

“I’m thrilled to join The University of Alabama and look forward to working with President Bell and the leadership team, faculty, staff, students and alumni,” said Dalton in a UA News release.