Mr. Joel Hassman Samuels has accepted the role of Provost, and will begin on Aug. 11, 2025. After two years of Willy Prado serving as Interim Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, the thorough search to fill this position has come to an end.
“As we emerge from the centenary celebrations of the University, I am honored to partner with President Echevarria and the faculty and staff of the U to lead the academic enterprise into its next century,” Samuels told News@TheU.
Before accepting his position as Provost, Samuels was a tenured law professor specializing in the rule of law at the University of South Carolina (USC).
He began teaching law as an assistant professor in 2004 and worked to earn titles such as Executive Director, Rule of Law Collaborative, Interim Vice Provost of Interdisciplinary Studies and ultimately served as USC’s Dean for the College of Arts and Sciences since 2021.
As Dean, Samuels led the largest college at the University of South Carolina made up of over 10,000 students and over 700 faculty members, oversaw an annual budget of more than $450 million, secured over $100 million in philanthropic gifts in the span of 3 years and developed college-wide teaching and research initiatives.
Additionally Samuels has been awarded over $27 million in grants as a Principal Investigator. As a Principal Investigator he has spearheaded, planned and managed 25 research projects spanning a variety of law related topics from rule of law to international relations.
However, Samuels’ notable accomplishments began while studying for his undergraduate degree at Princeton University, where he graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Politics.
While at Princeton, Samuels received the Asher Hinds Prize in European Cultural Studies, Caroline Picard Prize in Politics, and Montgomery Raiser Prize in Russian Studies.
He then went on to The University of Michigan, School of Law as a Clarence Darrow Scholar: a full tuition scholarship. He graduated cum laude with his Juris Doctor. A few years later he earned his Master of Arts in Russian and East European Studies.
In an interview with News@TheU Joseph Echevarria, President and CEO of the University of Miami and President of the University of Miami Health System said, “The combination of Joel’s background as a tenured law professor, researcher, and administrator uniquely equips him to understand the challenges and opportunities across our schools and colleges.”
Despite finding such a qualified candidate to fill the role of Provost, the University has also decided to create a new position – Chief Scientific Officer. This open position is dedicated to developing research across multiple disciplines at UM.
The Chief Scientific Officer will complement Samuels’ new position and report directly to President Echevarria.
As for Samuels, he has big plans to leave his mark on UM.
Samuels told News@theU, “In the coming years, I look forward to working with partners across our campuses and in our community to expand our impact on and through our students, through innovative research and creative achievement, through the delivery of extraordinary clinical care, all framed by a commitment to excellence in everything we do.”