Provost Nancy Brickhouse Announces Plan to Step Down on July 31, 2026

Contact: Lori Fogleman, 254-709-5959
Follow us: @BaylorUMedia on X and LinkedIn

After nearly seven years overseeing the University’s academic and research enterprise, Baylor University Provost Nancy Brickhouse, Ph.D., announced today that she plans to step down as chief academic officer on July 31, 2026. 

A Baylor University chemistry graduate, Brickhouse returned to her alma mater on May 1, 2019, to join President Linda A. Livingstone’s administration. She is Baylor’s third-longest-serving Provost behind only Herbert H. Reynolds, Ph.D., who served as Provost from 1973 to 1979 before becoming President, and John S. Belew, Ph.D., who was Provost from 1979 to 1991.

“I’ve known since my appointment in 2019 that I would make Baylor my final stop,” Brickhouse said. “I also knew that I would want my final years to be engaged in the work that attracted me to the professoriate at the beginning: teaching and writing. Like my return to Baylor as an ‘alumna Provost,’ there is something beautiful and meaningful about coming full circle.

“While I have had my eye on this transition, the question has only been about timing,” Brickhouse added. “Personally, July 31, 2026, is the right time to transition as it reflects both my professional readiness to deepen my work in the academy while maintaining the flexibility to be present for my adult children as their lives continue to unfold.”

Following a year-long sabbatical, Brickhouse will return to the faculty at Baylor to focus on teaching and investing in Baylor students during the final chapter of her commendable career.

“Provost Brickhouse has faithfully served the University as our chief academic officer since 2019, embracing our unique Christian mission while providing a strong voice for research in faith-based higher education,” President Livingstone said in an announcement to campus. “She has been a guiding hand in times of unprecedented advancement in undergraduate and graduate education and in research, including Baylor reaching Carnegie R1 designation during her tenure.

“On a more personal note, I want to express my appreciation for Nancy’s leadership and partnership for the many significant accomplishments over the past seven years,” she said. “I am deeply grateful for her commitment to Baylor’s Christian mission, and I will cherish the opportunity we had to be in this work together.”

President Livingstone highlighted Brickhouse’s collaborative work with deans and faculty across disciplines that helped lay a solid academic foundation for Baylor’s next chapter, including:

• Significant increases in research expenditures and research doctorates;
• Growth in graduate and professional education programs, where today one in four Baylor students is a graduate student;
• Understanding the crucial connection between timely graduation and affordability for students, which led to record 77% four-year graduation rate and an all-time high in student retention; and
• Playing an integral role in the successful completion of Illuminate and the development of Baylor in Deeds, Baylor’s last two strategic plans.

“The full implementation of the strategic plan will require focused effort for years to come,” Brickhouse said. “While I will not be the provost who leads the way in the completion of this work, please know that I will be your greatest cheerleader, and I will pray for your continued success.”

In her email to the University community, President Livingstone announced that Lee Nordt, Ph.D., outgoing Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, will serve as Interim Vice President and Provost. 

“Dean Nordt is a familiar face to many faculty, staff and students after serving in this leadership role for more than 20 years,” she said. “He has overseen nearly half of the University’s academic enterprise in his Deanship, and his leadership has been both steady and strategic. I am confident he will ably guide our academic and research endeavors during this season of transition.”

Before the end of the spring semester, President Livingstone will announce a national search for Provost Brickhouse’s successor, including members of the search advisory committee and search firm.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked Research 1 institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for 20,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 100 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions. Learn more about Baylor University at www.baylor.edu.