April 12, 2022
Dear Gonzaga Community:
It is with pleasure that I announce the appointment of Sacha E. Kopp, Ph.D. as Gonzaga’s next Provost.
Dr. Kopp currently serves as the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO), where he has been responsible for leading and supporting the academic enterprise as well as launching numerous strategic planning and campus engagement endeavors in collaboration with student affairs, finance, enrollment management, advancement, and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Prior to his current appointment, Dr. Kopp served in a number of administrative and faculty positions at Syracuse University; the University of Texas at Austin (where he was Associate Dean of the College of Natural Sciences); and the State University of New York at Stony Brook, where he was Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
In his cover letter and during his interviews, Dr. Kopp described his desire to serve at Gonzaga, a mission-based institution, as a true “calling.” Educated in Catholic elementary and secondary schools – and inspired by his father, who served on the faculty of a Catholic college for forty years – Dr. Kopp is excited by the prospect of serving an institution committed to education of the whole person in the context of a Catholic, Jesuit and humanistic tradition. Having served in positions of leadership that involve work with both academic affairs and student affairs, Dr. Kopp is committed to working to maintaining and creating opportunities for integrative learning and development. His record of achievement underscores a deep commitment to collaborative leadership, shared governance, and increasing diversity in, and inclusive practices for, faculty, staff, and student populations. I believe that Dr. Kopp’s extensive administrative experience, emphasis on collaboration, focus on building and stewardship of resources, and calm and congenial demeanor will make a positive and constructive impact on our university in the coming years.
Dr. Kopp, a native of Dubuque, Iowa, is a physicist by discipline and is extensively published in the fields of elementary particle physics and science education. He holds a bachelor’s, master’s, and a doctorate from the University of Chicago, and his research has been conducted at particle accelerator facilities nationally and internationally. He, together with his wife Gretchen have two children, Eleanor (studying trumpet at IU Bloomington), and Eli (a cellist graduating heading off to college this year). Gretchen is currently pursuing ordination in the Lutheran Church and serves as Protestant campus chaplain at Creighton University.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the members of the Provost Search Committee, who worked diligently through the past several months to evaluate and interview numerous semi-finalists, as well as all those who participated in the on-campus interviews and provided feedback to the committee. I would also like to thank interim Provost Ken Anderson, who has generously served us throughout this Spring semester. We will be hosting a reception to introduce Dr. Kopp to the members of our community the afternoon of Wednesday, April 20th. Dr. Kopp will take up his responsibilities as Provost at Gonzaga on June 6, 2022.
Sincerely,
Thayne M. McCulloh, D. Phil
President and Search Committee Chair