Tate named new USC provost

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The University of South Carolina has named William F. “Bill” Tate IV, the dean of the graduate school and vice provost for graduate education at Washington University in St. Louis, as its new provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.

Tate, the first African American provost in USC history, was among three finalists who visited the Columbia campus last month; he was also among four finalists for the position of university president last year. His selection was unanimously approved by the school’s board of trustees, according to a news release from the university.

“Bill Tate is a gamechanger,” Bob Caslen, USC president, said in the release. “He’s the ideal academic leader to inspire our faculty and students, and I’m excited about the vision and passion he brings to our administrative team.”

Tate earned a doctorate in mathematics education from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree in psychiatric epidemiology from the Washington University School of Medicine. He is a past president of the American Education Research Association.  

“I’m honored and excited to start my journey at South Carolina,” Tate said. “This is a special place, and being at the state’s flagship university provides a tremendous opportunity to change the lives of students and entire communities through education, research, innovation, and service.”

At Washington University, Tate has held academic and research appointments including in African and African American studies, American culture studies, Center for Applied Statistics and Computation, Institute for Public Health, social policy, urban studies and education. Prior to joining the faculty at Washington University, he held the William L. and Betty F. Adams Chair at Texas Christian University and spent a decade on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin at Madison.