LMU Names Kathleen Weaver, Ph.D. Executive Vice President and Provost

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Loyola Marymount University today announced that it has named Kathleen "Kat" Weaver, Ph.D. as executive vice president and provost of the university. 

Provost Weaver has been with LMU since 2018, in her role, she's overseen orientation of new faculty; ensured holistic support for students, faculty, and staff with research and professional development opportunities; led and supported external grants and contract funding opportunities; oversaw rank and tenure processes, faculty awards and internal grants; and spearheaded online education and delivery opportunities for LMU. Her efforts have resulted in university-level awards and externally funded initiatives that advance LMU's mission and student-support infrastructure, including the Delphi Award, multiple federally funded TRIO grants, a Title III-strengthening institutions grant, the Driving Change award from Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and support from the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NETVUE), among others.

Provost Weaver's appointment is effective immediately. She was chosen after a comprehensive and highly competitive national search, and following careful consideration of the search committee's recommendations and broad community input. She previously served as interim provost since June 2025.

"Provost Weaver is uniquely positioned for this moment in LMU's life because she brings a rare combination of scholarly excellence, strategic imagination, and evidence-informed decision-making," said President Thomas Poon, Ph.D. "Her leadership ensures that our students and faculty continue to flourish in classrooms and studios, laboratories and libraries, clinics and performance spaces, and in every setting where our students encounter ideas that stretch them toward truth, purpose, and service."

At LMU, Provost Weaver's leadership has driven record external grant success with $23.1 million awarded in fiscal year 2025, a 250% increase since 2018, and a 300% increase in the number of project investigators submitting and receiving grants. She has also elevated LMU's research and scholarly infrastructure in ways that expand opportunity and increase impact, including creating and teaching LMU's Proposal Writing Academy.

Under Weaver's leadership, LMU's financial commitment to research has grown by 200% as reported by the National Science Foundation Higher Education Research and Development (HERD) rankings.

Provost Weaver also embodies LMU's commitments to student success and educational equity, serving as a key leader in the university's designation as both a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American, Native American, and Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI), and expanding high-impact student research opportunities that engage more than 550 students annually with more than $1.3 million in awards each year.  

"It is an honor to serve LMU in this role. I am deeply committed to the university and to working alongside faculty, staff, and students in sustaining a collaborative academic community rooted in mission, excellence, and care for the whole person," said Provost Weaver. "Together, we will continue building on LMU's strengths so that learning, discovery, and service flourish."

Provost Weaver earned her Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from the University of Colorado Boulder and has published widely in her field, including research on land snails and freshwater fish that offers important insights into regional biodiversity, environmental change, and the factors that sustain healthy ecosystems. She is also a frequent author and presenter on STEM education and student learning, with a particular focus on gender equity, and she co-authored a statistics textbook designed to support hybrid learning. 

About Loyola Marymount University

Loyola Marymount University is one of the nation's top 10 Catholic schools and is ranked 6th among California's private colleges and universities in the latest edition of U.S. News and World Report's Best Colleges. Founded in 1911 and rooted in the Catholic, Jesuit, and Marymount traditions, LMU enrolls 7,100 undergraduates and 3,000 graduate and law students across seven colleges and schools. The university offers 56 undergraduate majors, 57 minors, 43 master's degree programs, three doctorate programs, and 12 credential/authorization programs. With top-ranked programs in law, film and television, entrepreneurship, business, and the arts, LMU is embedded in the creative, cultural, and economic life of Los Angeles. The university generates $1.4 billion in annual economic impact. A proud member of the West Coast Conference, LMU fields 14 NCAA Division I teams and competes with purpose, pride, and integrity.

LMU news and events are found at: www.lmu.edu/news.

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SOURCE Loyola Marymount University