Martha Potvin

 

Martha Potvin was the first woman to be Montana State’s top academic administrator, serving as executive vice president for academic affairs and provost from 2011 to 2016. In that office, she helped advance the role of women faculty in STEM and social and behavioral science disciplines and led numerous efforts to help students stay in school and graduate. A native of Connecticut, Potvin earned her doctorate in evolutionary biology from University of Nebraska-Lincoln and began her academic career at West Chester University, where she served in multiple administrative roles. At MSU, she led teams that managed 16% enrollment growth and oversaw a $21 million increase in the university’s instruction budget. She helped identify new ways to help students succeed in challenging courses and pushed greater awareness of the Freshman 15 program, which allows students to save considerably on their tuition by graduating in four years. She also led collaborative efforts on campus to update MSU’s core curriculum. Potvin was a leader on the 2012 ADVANCE Project TRACS grant, created the position of director of faculty development and reinstated funding for the Women’s Faculty Caucus. She served on the board of the Association of Chief Academic Officers and was a member of the Montana Science and Technology Committee, the Council of College of Arts and Sciences, and the National Science Foundation Science Deans Delegation to China, among others. 

“MSU enjoys the highest retention and graduation rates in its recent history, due in no small part to her efforts and leadership.”