Dr. Lois Muir

Lois Muir became the first woman Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at The University of Montana on July 1, 2000. She also serves as University Provost for the four campuses of The University of Montana. Before coming to The University of Montana in Summer of 2000, she was Associate Provost at Kent State University. Prior to that time, she served as Dean of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and Graduate Dean at Kennesaw State University in Georgia. Before that she held a number of administrative and faculty positions at the University of Wisconsin, the University of South Dakota, and Indiana University.

Dr. Muir holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook, a M.S. in Family and Child Development from Auburn University, and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Texas at Austin. As an undergraduate, she majored in Psychology with a minor in Computer Science. Throughout her graduate training, she specialized in Developmental Psychology.

Her own early experience as a mother raising three sons gave rise to her professional interest in mothering and child development. She has taught and published in the areas of Developmental Psychology and Psychology of Women. Changes in maternal attitudes and perceptions over time continue to be a research focus. As a professor at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, she was recognized for her outstanding teaching by being selected for the "Last Lecture Series" in 1986 and the Outstanding Teacher Award in 1992.

A continuing interest in diverse cultures took her to Malaysia in 1986 as a Visiting Associate Professor for Indiana University's program in Shah Alam. During the next two years, she and her family traveled around the world. Later, in 1993, she expanded her appreciation for cultural differences, working with a tribal college in South Dakota.

Provost Muir began her administrative service as a faculty member in Wisconsin during the 1980s, serving on the Faculty Senate and chairing numerous university committees. This experience as a junior professor developed a respect for collegiality and academic dialogue. Through her administrative roles, a professional interest in the development of organizations began. In recent years, her speaking engagements have primarily focused on issues in higher education and women in leadership.

Provost's Annual Report