The University of Vermont Board of Trustees approved in a special meeting Monday the appointment of Patricia Prelock to serve as interim president of the university following the departure of current president Suresh Garimella.

“UVM is fortunate to have such an experienced and capable leader to step in and lead the university through this period of presidential transition,” said Board chair Ron Lumbra. “Provost Prelock has a proven track record of leadership excellence at UVM and possesses a wealth of institutional knowledge that will help the university continue to thrive throughout the search for its 28th president.”

Prelock will begin as interim president upon President Garimella’s departure this fall and serve while the search for the university’s next president proceeds in due course.

“I am honored to serve UVM as interim president and appreciate the trust placed in me by the board,” said Prelock. “I am certain that we will maintain the positive momentum of recent years as we navigate together toward a presidential leadership transition. UVM’s students are always my highest priority, and I look forward to leading continued collaboration with my valued colleagues across the university to ensure their success.”

As UVM’s Provost and Senior Vice President since 2019, Prelock has been an unwavering champion of student success, developing and promoting academic success goals to track progress across a wide variety of areas. An internationally renowned scholar and practitioner in the nature and treatment of autism spectrum disorders, Prelock has secured nearly $25 million in research funding as a primary investigator or co-primary investigator and helped establish UVM’s Osher Center for Integrative Health.

Prelock is highly respected in the UVM community, having held numerous key roles on campus for more than 30 years, including Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Chair of the Department of Communication Sciences, Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders, and Professor of Pediatrics.

Prelock has served as President for the American Speech-Language Hearing Association and is a National Academies of Practice (NAP) Fellow in speech-language pathology. She is the winner of dozens of awards for her teaching and scholarship, including UVM’s Kroepsch-Maurice Excellence in Teaching Award and designation as a University Scholar.