13 June 2022 New Provost to lead strategic direction in education and research at Lincoln University

Renowned researcher in marine biosecurity and prominent member of the global academic community, Professor Chad Hewitt, has been appointed to a newly-created Provost position at Te Whare Wānaka o Aoraki Lincoln University.

As Provost, Professor Hewitt will be responsible for the strategic development, implementation and delivery of the University’s academic plan and will provide leadership in delivering excellent education and research that is differentiated, scalable, agile and responsive to evolving market demands.

He will begin his new role at Lincoln University on 5 September 2022 on completion of his current position as Professor and Director of the Murdoch Biosecurity and One Health Research Centre at Murdoch University, Western Australia, where he is also Coordinator of the Murdoch Defence Research.

Prior to that he was Dean of Science at the University of Waikato.

Professor Hewitt was selected from a large pool of impressive applicants, including notable international candidates, following a rigorous and intensive selection process managed by a global talent identification agency.

In announcing the new appointment, Vice-Chancellor Professor Grant Edwards identified Professor Hewitt’s strategic leadership ability as principal among the many outstanding attributes that qualified him for the role.

“The position of Provost is the chief academic officer for Lincoln University, and has overall responsibility for ensuring advancement of our research and education contributions as a specialist land-based university. 

“Chad has extensive national and international experience in developing high-performing academic teams to optimise education outcomes and strengthen engagement across all levels of learning.

“Not only is he an inspirational leader of people in academic fields, but he is also an eminent and extensively-published researcher in his own right. He will bring fresh insights and new energy to our drive to deliver world-class research and teaching in the land-based disciplines.”

Professor Hewitt’s aptitude for developing productive collaborative partnerships was also instrumental in his appointment.

“Lincoln University has a strong focus on establishing domestic and international partnerships in research and education,” said Professor Edwards.

“Chad will apply his talent for identifying and building constructive relationships to maximise our existing collaborations and shape new partnerships with government, industry, iwi, research institutes, the wider community and other stakeholders.

“Lincoln University’s vision is to be a globally-ranked, top-five land-based university, and we need outstanding leaders to achieve that ambition.

“In Chad’s appointment to the Provost role, we are confident we have engaged the right person at the right time, and with the ideal blend of skills and experience, complemented by his down-to-earth approach and authentic style, to lead the University’s academic and research momentum.”

For media enquiries email media@lincoln.ac.nz or phone 03 325 3827.