Dear LMU Community:
With delight, I reappoint Thomas Poon, Ph.D., as executive vice president and provost of Loyola Marymount University. Over the past five years I have enjoyed witnessing Provost Poon’s myriad talents and wisdom in action. His steadfast leadership has enabled LMU to soar academically and emerge from the pandemic as a stronger, better positioned university. I look forward to what lies ahead and highlight a few of Tom’s milestones:
- Since Provost Poon’s appointment in 2017, LMU has expanded the pool of nationally recognized faculty by creating 25 new tenure-line faculty positions and hiring a total of 122 tenure-line faculty across all colleges and schools.
- Undergraduate enrollment has grown by an impressive 12 percent, and LMU’s graduate offerings have increased with the addition of new programs in business analytics (M.S.B.A.), management (MSM), performance pedagogy (MFA), online educational leadership (Ed.D.), global entrepreneurial management (MGEM), literacy for urban schools (LTUB), computer science (CMSI), and entrepreneurship and sustainable innovation (ENSI).
- In 2018 LMU was selected to shelter a chapter of The Phi Beta Kappa Society, America’s most prestigious academic honor society.
- LMU was reclassified in 2018 to the Doctoral University: High Research Activity (R2) Carnegie classification category. Holding R2 status acknowledges the consistency and strength of our scholarly productivity and raises LMU’s reputation for academic prowess.
- LMU’s support for research and development increased by 81 percent according to the National Science Foundation higher education survey on institutional research and development, a testament to the value of research at our institution.
- The university advanced its globalization and internationalization efforts as LMU appointed its first vice provost for Global-Local Affairs, added 41 new study abroad programs (a 63 percent increase), grew international student enrollment by 12 percent, and obtained observer status to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
- Provost Poon has appointed a creative, diverse, and mission-driven team of administrative leaders who support the LMU mission with intention and grace.
- Through the support of the Office of the Provost, the LMU Bellarmine College of Liberal Arts, and the LMU College of Business Administration, more than 240 new, paid internship opportunities were created for students through the Summer Internship Fund administered by Career and Professional Development.
- In recognition of the important contributions of faculty to the university’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion work, the provost oversaw the campus-wide incorporation of DEI criteria in each department’s rank and tenure standards and facilitated the university’s membership with the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity. LMU also joined Excelencia’s Action Network and received the Hispanic Scholarship Fund’s Education Partner of the Year Award for the advancement of higher education for the Latinx community.
- During the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic, Provost Poon led a swift transition to remote learning while maintaining our trademark academic excellence.
Please join me in congratulating Executive Vice President and Provost Poon on his consequential successes and in thanking him for the leadership he has provided, and for his willingness to continue serving in this critical role at our university. Congratulations, Dr. Poon: Keep the music coming!
Sincerely,
Timothy Law Snyder, Ph.D.
President
