Dr. Karl S. Wright has been
appointed provost of the University of the Virgin Islands,
effective July 15. As provost, he is responsible for administering
academic policy at the University.
Dr. Wright comes to UVI with more than 20 years of senior and executive level administrative experience at private and public universities. His higher education administrative experience began in 1985 when he served as chair of the Department of Economics at South Carolina State University. In 1987 he assumed the position of dean of the School of Business at the same university. Seven years later, Dr. Wright was named vice president for academic affairs at Florida Memorial University (FMU). He also served as executive vice president and provost at Florida Memorial University until 2006, when he was selected to serve as president of that institution.
"We are very fortunate to have obtained the services of such a seasoned and highly accomplished provost for this key academic leadership position," UVI President David Hall said. "Dr. Wright's past service as provost and president will aid us greatly in our quest for greatness. He has a deep commitment to the educational enhancement of UVI, the Virgin Islands, and the Caribbean."
Dr. Wright holds a doctorate in agricultural economics from Mississippi State University. His areas of scholarly research interest are statistical forecasting and economic modeling. He has been instrumental in spearheading the development and/or enhancement of a wide range of academic programs, including a regionally accredited MBA program. Dr. Wright also brings a wealth of experience in spearheading successful accreditation efforts at both the institutional and programmatic levels, and has National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), and Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) experience.
Originally from Jamaica, he has worked extensively to create
education partnerships with various international institutions in
Sierra Leone, Niger, Indonesia, the Philippines, Spain, the
Dominican Republic and throughout the Caribbean. Dr. Wright has
significant experience working at land grant universities, and in
leading numerous efforts to enhance the connection between
universities and the community.
Dr. Wright will reside on St. Croix and will maintain offices on
UVI's St. Croix and St. Thomas campuses. He can be reached at (340)
692-4022 and 693-1200. His e-mail address is kwright@uvi.edu.