Office Staff

Tracy works with administrative, research and academic staff in regard to space management issues. Her responsibilities include space planning and design in addition to facility management and data collection. She received her B.A. from the University of Iowa and an M.B.A. from the University of Kansas. Prior to coming to KU as a Space Analyst, she had more than eighteen years of experience in corporate design and construction.

Dr. Mary Lee Hummert (Ph.D., University of Kansas, 1987) is Vice Provost for Faculty Development, Professor of Communication Studies, and on the faculty of the interdisciplinary doctoral program in Gerontology. She joined the Provost’s Office in September, 2006, and previously served as Associate Vice Provost for Research. Key responsibilities in her current position include administration of faculty programs and policies, such as new faculty orientation, the promotion and tenure process, sabbatical leave, etc. In addition, she coordinates development programs for department chairs/program directors and serves as the liaison in the Provost’s office for the Ombuds Office, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the Schools of Business, Fine Arts, Journalism, Law, and Social Welfare. Dr. Hummert’s research examines the social cognitive processes linking age stereotypes and communication. She has published extensively in communication, psychology, and gerontology journals, and is the co-editor of two books on communication and aging.

Brandie is the assistant to Mary Lee Hummert. In addition to supporting Dr. Hummert, Brandie also schedules and organizes the New Faculty Luncheons and the Distinguished Professor Inaugural Lecture series, among other activities. Prior to joining the Office of the Provost staff in the Spring 2008, Brandie was employed by the Department of Health and Environment's Health Occupations Credentialing unit in Topeka. Born and raised in western Kansas, she earned a B.A. in Psychology and a B.A. in Communication Studies with an emphasis in Journalism from Fort Hays State University.

Jeannette Johnson has been a member of the KU administrative staff for over 25 years. She previously served as assistant to the Dean of the School of Education and assistant to the Executive Vice Chancellor. Since 1996 she has been an assistant to the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost, with primary responsibilities in the area of University policy. She has been a member of numerous University committees and task forces, including search and administrative review committees. She holds degrees in Germanic Languages and Literatures from the University of Illinois, Urbana, and the University of Kansas, and occasionally volunteers as a courtesy lecturer in the Humanities and Western Civilization program of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Bill Kummerow is the Web programmer for the Office of the Provost and the Spencer Museum of Art. He comes to this position from Academic Technology Services, where he had worked since 1998. Bill has a master's in curriculum and instruction from the University of Tennessee and a bachelor's in history from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Linda Luckey assists with the management of programs such as the Senior Administrative Fellows and the Office of Women in Higher Education, monitors progress on university initiatives including undergraduate research and service learning, and coordinates projects for the Senior Vice Provost. She is currently assisting with the establishment of the new Center for Service Learning. During her 10 years at KU, Linda also served as Assistant to the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Assistant to the Executive Vice Chancellor for University Relations. She is staff advisor for the KU Alternative Breaks program, serves on the Friends of Women Studies Board, and occasionally teaches the COMS 201: Introduction to Leadership course. Before coming to KU, Linda was the Vice President for Business Affairs at the Chicago Theological Seminary, from which she holds a Master of Divinity Degree.

Jenny Mehmedovic is an assistant to the provost at The University of Kansas. Her primary responsibility is working with campus partners to populate the KU Policy Library. She is a supporting player in the KU Information Management Program, with the goal of cultivating better information handling by all members of the university community. Jenny is a member of the Educause/Internet 2 Security Task Force working group on Policy/Legal Issues. Before joining the Office of the Provost this year, she served for 6 years in the Office of the Vice Provost for Information Services as coordinator of information technology policy and planning. Jenny has developed information technology policy for the university community and has educated users on topics such as access, copyright, privacy, records management and information security. She provides professional facilitation upon request to groups engaged in strategic planning, team building, and process improvement. Jenny has also been employed at KU in the Office of Institutional Research and Planning, and has held an internal audit position with Sprint. A 2005 Frye Institute Fellow, Jenny has bachelor's degrees in anthropology and Spanish and a master's degree in business administration.

As Assistant to the Provost, Jenny oversees the Provost's calendar and schedule. She also coordinates special events. Prior to joining the Office of the Provost, Jenny served as the Executive Assistant to the Kansas Secretary of State. She has also worked in various support and research capacities within the University of Kansas. Jenny is also a trained music therapy clinician, having worked with older adults, individuals with developmental disabilities and Hospice patients. A Lawrence native, Jenny has a bachelor's degree in English and received her master's in music therapy in May 2009.

Susann Richardson assists Mary Lee Hummert, Vice Provost for Faculty Support. She maintains faculty records related to promotion and tenure, sabbatical leaves, and progress toward tenure review.

Dr. Barbara S. Romzek (Ph.D., University of Texas, 1979) is Interim Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Professor of Public Administration. She has most recently served as Associate Dean for Social and Behavioral Sciences in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Key responsibilities in her current position include academic program approval and review for the Kansas Board of Regents as well as institutional performance reporting to the Regents. Dr. Romzek is recognized nationally as an expert in the area of public management and accountability with particular emphases on government reform, contracting, and network service delivery. Her work has encompassed variety of work settings, including complex federal agencies such as NASA, Congress, and the U.S. Air Force, as well as state agencies, local governments, and nonprofits. She has published widely published in social science journals and she has published three books. Romzek is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration and she has received awards for her research from the American Society for Public Administration and the American Political Science Association.

Jane Rosenthal is responsible for coordination of efforts and initiatives on behalf of the Senior Vice Provost relating to issues of Privacy on campus. These issues may include, but not be limited to, policy, procedure, review and compliance regarding individually identifiable health information, student records, financial records and identifiable data requiring protections mandated by federal, state, or local laws. Additionally, she is the Custodian of Records for purposes of the Kansas Open Records Act, and she coordinates requests for the Lawrence directed campuses.

• Kansas Open Records Act
• Privacy Office
• KUMC Kansas Open Records Contact

As Financial Manager/Analyst, Paula reports to the Vice Provost of Administration and Finance, supervising the financial affairs and assisting with the budget within the Office of the Provost. She also provides assistance to units associated with the Provost Office and analyzes the impact of financial commitments. She brings to the position 17 years of small business ownership, and several years as project coordinator in the software field. Paula holds a degree in Information Systems.

Dr. Don Steeples is McGee Distinguished Professor of Geophysics and Senior Vice Provost for Scholarly Support at the University of Kansas. His responsibilities include oversight of space management on campus, which include the department of Facilities and Operations, Design and Construction Management, Environmental Health and Safety, Parking & Transit, the Center for Sustainability, Instructional Development and Support. He also serves as a liaison to the Provost on behalf of the schools of Architecture, Engineering, and Pharmacy, as well as the ROTC program. Dr. Steeples earned a BS in geophysics (1969) and an MS in geology (1970) from Kansas State University where he was a member of both the varsity football and varsity track teams. After two years as a lieutenant in the US Army Corps of Engineers in Alaska, he returned to graduate school and received an MS (1974) and PhD (1975) in geophysics from Stanford University. He has consulted for more than 50 companies and government agencies and operates a 1900-acre western Kansas wheat farm.