JOSEPH E. STEINMETZ

Dr. Joseph E. Steinmetz became the sixth chancellor of the University of Arkansas on January 1, 2016.  Among his priorities as chief executive officer are developing an enrollment plan, creating more need-based scholarships, growing graduate programs, and continuing to advance diversity. To that end, Dr. Steinmetz oversaw the establishment of the University’s 8 Guiding Priorities, which have led to new programs and initiatives like the Advance Arkansas scholarship program and the Discovery and Innovation Fund. His support for the arts also helped facilitate the creation of a School of Art through a $120 million gift from the Walton Family Charitable Support Foundation. He continues to meet with a broad range of stakeholders across the state to advocate for public education and to learn how they can work together for the common goal of strengthening the flagship.

Background

Prior to this appointment, he was Ohio State’s chief academic officer. As executive vice president and provost, he oversaw the administration, coordination, and development of all academic functions of the university.

Dr. Steinmetz joined Ohio State in 2009 to serve as vice provost for arts and sciences and executive dean of the then-new College of Arts and Sciences. With his leadership, the former five independent colleges of arts and sciences were unified into the largest arts and sciences college in the country.

Before Ohio State, Dr. Steinmetz was dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Kansas, where he was also a university distinguished professor. Before Kansas, Dr. Steinmetz spent 19 years at Indiana University, Bloomington where he served as Chair of the Department of Psychology, Executive Associate Dean of Arts and Sciences and a Distinguished Professor of Psychological and Brain Science.

Awards/Recognition

A nationally respected behavioral neuroscientist, Dr. Steinmetz was recognized in 1996 by the National Academy of Sciences for his contributions to the fields of experimental psychology and neuroscience. In 2012 he was named an AAAS Fellow.

Involvement/Interests

His research interests have included neuroanatomical and neurophysiological substrates of learning and memory; the effects of alcohol on neural and behavioral function; neurobiological and behavioral models of fetal alcohol syndrome; and the neurobiology of simple human learning, memory, and cognitive function.  He is also heavily involved in civic, educational, and non-profit endeavors. He serves on the board of trustees for the Arkansas Research Alliance and the Higher Learning Commission and on the board of directors for the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System (PCSAS) and the Association of Public & Land-Grant Universities (APLU.) and a member of the David and Barbara Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History’s advisory board, the University of Arkansas Foundation’s executive committee, the Amazeum Members Council and the Campaign Arkansas steering committee.  He was also co-chair of the Northwest Arkansas Council.

Education

Dr. Steinmetz earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Central Michigan University and his doctorate at Ohio University.