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Campus Announcements

Makaroff named interim provost

Longtime educator, administrator joined ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ in 1989

Chris Makaroff
Chris Makaroff will serve as interim provost for ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ while the university conducts a national search to fill the permanent role.
Campus Announcements

Makaroff named interim provost

Chris Makaroff will serve as interim provost for ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ while the university conducts a national search to fill the permanent role.
Chris Makaroff, former dean of ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ’s College of Arts and Science (CAS), will serve as interim provost.

Makaroff replaces Elizabeth Mullenix, who announced earlier this year she would step down as provost and executive vice president to return to teaching in the College of Creative Arts.

¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ will launch a national search to fill the permanent role.

For 35 years, Makaroff has held roles as educator and administrator at ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ. He joined the university in 1989 as an assistant professor before rising to dean of CAS in 2015. Makaroff served in that position until 2024.

“We are grateful to Chris for his willingness to step into this interim role as we begin a national search for our new provost,” ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ President Gregory Crawford said. “Throughout his career at ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ, Chris has made significant contributions to the university and has had an astounding impact on the community, and countless students. We are excited to have someone with his experience, commitment, and collaborative nature in this important role.”

Makaroff earned his bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry from the University of Michigan-Dearborn before obtaining a Ph.D. from Purdue University. He joined ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ following a three-year stint at the University of Michigan as a postdoctoral research fellow. Makaroff became chair of ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in 2003, a position he held for nearly a decade before beginning his tenure as associate dean in 2012.

Named interim dean of CAS in 2015, Makaroff was elevated to the permanent role that same year. He was named ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ Sigma Xi Researcher of the Year in 2004 and the Distinguished Scholar of the Graduate Faculty the following year.

“I am honored to serve in this role to support the university in this time of transition and change,” Makaroff said. “As we move into the implementation phase of ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒTHRIVE and search for the next university provost, I feel fortunate to get to work with the many talented faculty and staff who make ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ so special.”

In 2009, Makaroff earned the ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ Distinguished Scholar accolade. He taught 19 different courses at the university.

Last year, Makaroff was a recipient of the Benjamin Harrison Medallion, the university’s most prestigious career faculty award. The award is given annually for the highest standards in teaching, attaining significant stature within a field, a record of enduring and outstanding service to ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ, and in recognition of influence beyond a primary discipline.

Makaroff was lauded as a “known and trusted leader” who made lasting contributions to teaching, mentoring, research, and service to ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ.

“I owe a lot to ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ,” Makaroff said. “It is with great pleasure that I can serve the university community as interim provost.”
Established in 1809, ¾Ã¾ÃË®ÃÛÌÒ is located in Oxford, Ohio, with regional campuses in Hamilton and Middletown, a learning center in West Chester, and a European study center in Luxembourg.