Executive Vice President and Provost John D. Simon has appointed Archie Holmes, a University of Virginia professor of electrical and computer engineering, as associate provost. Holmes will be responsible for areas related to the undergraduate educational experience, and will focus efforts to strengthen connections among the various schools and between the academic mission and student affairs. He will work on a variety of related projects including initiatives emerging from the strategic planning process, and will report to Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Maurie McInnis.

“Archie’s knowledge of U.Va. and his experience working among academic disciplines and departments makes him an ideal choice for this position,” Simon said.

Development of a new strategic plan has been ongoing for more than a year. President Teresa A. Sullivan kicked off the process by establishing seven working groups charged with engaging the University community to hone in on proposals that will allow U.Va. to stand apart from its peers and competitors. Through working group meetings, public forums and other avenues, thousands of students, parents, alumni, faculty, staff and others have participated in the plan-development process. The work has been guided and assisted by both the Strategic Planning Steering Committee and the Board of Visitors’ Special Committee on Strategic Planning. A draft of the full plan is expected to be presented at the board’s November meeting.

Holmes is a member of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee, and he and McInnis recently delivered a presentation to the Board of Visitors regarding one of the five strategic plan pillars concerning educational experiences that deliver new levels of student engagement.

Holmes received a bachelor of science degree from The University of Texas at Austin, and master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara. His classroom teaching has been recognized with several honors including membership in the University Academy of Teaching.