Dr. Rishi Sriram Appointed Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education

Dear Faculty and Staff:

I am pleased to share with you that Rishi R. Sriram, Ph.D., Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Success and Associate Professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs in the Moody School of Education, has been selected to serve as Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education for the Office of the Provost, beginning June 1, 2026.

Dr. Sriram is particularly well-suited for this role that shapes the undergraduate experience at Baylor. He has a deep understanding of the University’s institutional culture, values and strategic priorities, with a strong commitment to fostering student achievement and engagement. A nationally known scholar who studies college student success, he will be able to put his research into practice to elevate and bring more visibility to the outstanding undergraduate education Baylor provides our students. 

As we welcome Dr. Sriram, I extend my sincere appreciation to J. Wesley (Wes) Null, Ph.D., for his 15 years of dedication and selfless service to our faculty, staff and students as Vice Provost. We wish Dr. Null the very best as he returns, as he announced last fall, to his tenured appointment as Professor of Curriculum and Foundations of Education and Graduate Program Director for the Curriculum & Teaching Ph.D. program. I also express my gratitude to the members of the VPUE search committee for their valuable time and dedication: Dr. Eduardo (Eddie) Contreras (chair), Meghan Becker, Dr. Tricia Blalock, Dr. Elyssia Gallagher, Dr. Ginger Hanchey, Dr. Doug Henry, Dr. Danny Hernandez, Dr. Tim McKinney, Amine Qourzal, Dr. Luci Ramos Hoppe, Dr. Anne Spence and Ross VanDyke.

In his new role, Dr. Sriram will provide strategic leadership for a broad portfolio of units and initiatives that directly impact undergraduate education and student success, including Student Access, Undergraduate Success, Student Success and Engagement, Institutional Effectiveness, Office of the Registrar and Career Center. He will lead university-wide efforts to improve undergraduate retention, progression and graduation rates, and coordinate with all academic units to align student success strategies with institutional goals, ensuring every student can thrive academically and personally.

Dr. Sriram earned his B.A. and M.S. from Baylor and his Ph.D. from Azusa Pacific University. He spent eight years as a higher education and student affairs administrator, including as Assistant Dean for Student Learning & Engagement at Baylor, where he played a primary role in the development of residential colleges, living-learning programs and a faculty-in-residence program. In 2010, he joined the Baylor education faculty as Assistant Professor of Higher Education and Student Affairs, was promoted to Associate Professor in 2016 and served as Program Director for the Higher Education and Student Affairs master’s program from 2009 to 2025. He has spent the last 13 years as Faculty Steward of Brooks Residential College. Most recently, he was appointed Associate Vice Provost for Undergraduate Success.

Dr. Sriram's research interests include the development of talent, student affairs professional practice and college student retention, engagement, achievement and learning. He currently serves as editor of the Journal of the First-Year Experience & Students in Transition and on the Azusa Pacific Board of Trustees.

Please join me in congratulating Dr. Sriram on his appointment as Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education.

Sincerely,

Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D.
Provost