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| SARASOTA, Fla. (June 20, 2018) – University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee Regional Chancellor Dr. Karen Holbrook has named Dr. Brett Kemker as the new regional vice chancellor for academic and student affairs. A native of Gainesville, Fla., and 1992 graduate of USF Tampa, he will officially begin his duties at USF Sarasota-Manatee on July 2.
Dr. Kemker has served in a variety of campus leadership positions for more than two decades, most recently at the University of New Orleans and the University of Southern Mississippi. For the past six years, Dr. Kemker has served as the UNO dean of students within the Office of the Provost. As a member of the President’s Executive Cabinet, Dr. Kemker played a lead role in the development of the school’s master plan, which included centralizing all student-related services and re-branding the institution.
Dr. Kemker served as assistant provost at Southern Mississippi from 2009-2012, as associate dean of the USM College of Health and chair of the Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences. In addition to earning a B.A in communication sciences and disorders at USF Tampa, Dr. Kemker earned an M.A. and Ph.D. in communication sciences and disorders at the University of Florida. He was an assistant professor at Florida State University within the Department of Communication Disorders from 1998 to 2004, and an associate professor at Louisiana Tech University in the Department of Speech from 2004 to 2006. Dr. Kemker has performed extensive research in cognitive functioning as it relates to sensory input; his work has been published in top-tier journals and presented at conferences worldwide.
“Dr. Kemker has a wealth of experience developing quality academic programs and student support services that have contributed to increased enrollment, enhanced retention and ultimately student success,” said Dr. Holbrook. “He is passionate about faculty development and supporting research endeavors, enhancing community partnerships and having an environment where the academic community thrives. I commend the search committee for its work in identifying a perfect person for the position.”
“I am honored to be joining the leadership team at USF Sarasota-Manatee,” said Dr. Kemker. “During my visits to the campus, I quickly learned that the quality and caliber of the faculty, staff and students at USFSM is outstanding and there are tremendous opportunities to build upon the excellent programs already here. You can sense the positive momentum that the campus has with Dr. Karen Holbrook as our leader.”
“As a regional campus of a world-renowned research institution, USFSM is well-positioned to expand and enhance its academic programs, experiential learning opportunities and research capabilities to better serve our region and the many stakeholders,” added Dr. Kemker. “I feel privileged to have the opportunity to provide our faculty, staff and students with a superlative working and learning environment and to help the three USF campuses enhance our programs and services.”
Dr. Kemker’s wife, Denise, is a native of Satellite Beach, Fla. They have two children, Elizabeth, 17, and Nicholas, 13. ### |
| About USF Sarasota-Manatee (USFSM) USF Sarasota-Manatee is a regional campus of the University of South Florida system, offering the prestige of a nationally ranked research university with the convenience of a hometown location, including classes in Manatee and Sarasota counties, Venice and online. USFSM is ideal for those interested in pursuing a baccalaureate or master’s degree, professional certification, or continuing education credit in a small, personal setting with distinguished faculty and a dynamic curriculum of more than 40 academic programs. Website: www.usfsm.edu. |
