Mullen to Lead Academic and Student Affairs

Michael D. Mullen, associate provost for the Division of Undergraduate Education and dean of undergraduate studies at the University of Kentucky (UK), has been named vice chancellor and dean of the Division of Academic and Student Affairs at NC State, effective Aug. 1. Provost Warwick Arden announced the appointment today.

At UK, Mullen heads 10 units and manages 70 employees and a budget of more than $6 million as associate provost and dean. He leads numerous academic support programs and units, including those responsible for undergraduate advising, undergraduate research, and undergraduate retention and success. He recently led efforts to implement a new general education core curriculum, enhance and expand tutoring services on campus and revise UK’s honors program.

“We’re excited to have Dr. Mullen joining the leadership team at NC State,” Arden said. “He comes to us with considerable expertise, skill and a passion for student success. I am confident that the Division of Academic and Student Affairs will be in good hands with his leadership.”

As head of the new division, which merges academic and student affairs as part of the university’s strategic realignment, Mullen will oversee academic programs and services, Arts NC State, campus life, and student development, health and wellness.

“The creation of the Division of Academic and Student Affairs is recognition that student success is a function of the academic, co-curricular and personal success of the student. It was what attracted me to the position,” Mullen said. “I very much look forward to providing leadership for this division that serves all students in all facets of their lives as they pursue their goals.”

A soil scientist, Mullen is an expert in soil biology and biochemistry, with research interests in soil microbial diversity and the impact of agricultural management practices on soil productivity. He is a tenured professor in UK’s Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.

Before being named associate provost and dean in 2009, Mullen served as associate dean for academic programs in UK’s College of Agriculture for five years.

Prior to joining UK, Mullen spent nine years at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, where he served as assistant and associate professor of plant and soil sciences and associate professor of biosystems engineering and environmental science.

He also served as an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee, Martin, from 1989 to 1993.

He is a member of several professional and honor societies, including the American Society of Agronomy, the Soil Science Society of America, and North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture (NACTA).

Mullen served as president of NACTA in 2009-10 and has won numerous teaching awards during his career. He is the author or co-author of four peer-reviewed book chapters and numerous peer-reviewed journal publications.

Mullen received his bachelor’s degree in natural resources and environmental science from Purdue University in 1981. He earned a master’s degree in soil science at Purdue in 1984 and a Ph.D. in soil science with a minor in microbiology at NC State in 1987.