About

KerryAnn O’Meara is the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Provost, and Dean of the College at Teachers College Columbia University. She is a professor in the higher and postsecondary education program in the organization and leadership department.  Dr. O'Meara has studied academic careers and reward systems for over twenty-five years. Aiming to advance full participation, she has considered constraints and supports of faculty agency. Dr. O'Meara has designed and tested strategies to embed transparency, clarity, consistency, fairness, credit, context, and accountability in hiring, retention, workload and evaluation, policies and practices. 

Drawing on insights from organizational behavior, higher education research, and behavioral economics, her work is interdisciplinary, focused on moving from research to practice. 

Prior to joining Teachers College in 2023, KerryAnn served as Professor of Higher Education, Distinguished Scholar Teacher, and Special Assistant to the Provost and to the President for Strategic Initiatives at the University of Maryland. She served as Director of the University of Maryland ADVANCE program there for ten years. Dr. O'Meara was elected to and served as President of the Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE in 2020) and an American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow.

Since becoming Provost in July 2023, Dr. O’Meara has collaborated with President Bailey, faculty, students, and staff to develop and launch the TC Commitments Vision and Action Plan. She spearheaded the creation of Teachers College’s first Winter Session (2025) and the professional development series, TC Academy. Additionally, she has worked with colleagues to enhance faculty promotion and retention systems and ensure that academic programs remain vital and responsive to evolving disciplines and student needs. She has also championed signature student initiatives that expose students to global and local challenges, cutting-edge research, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Animated by Teachers College’s enduring legacy of innovation and impact, Provost O’Meara is committed to fostering a culture of talent development, bold partnerships, and meaningful change in service of the public good. She works alongside TC colleagues to lead with values, support a caring community, and drive forward initiatives that make a lasting difference.