Office of the Provost
Washington State University
Dear Colleagues,

It is with mixed emotions that I am announcing my intent to step down from the position of provost and executive vice president at Washington State University. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve my alma mater in the roles of dean of CAHNRS, interim provost, interim president, and provost over the past 14 years. While I will look back fondly on these years, they have also taken a toll, and it is time for me to step back and direct more of my time and energy to my own health and well-being.

President Schulz has requested, and I have agreed, to stay on until a permanent provost is appointed (I think we can all agree that WSU has experienced enough interim leadership in recent years). An announcement will be coming from the Office of the President shortly defining the timetable for this search.

I want to thank President Schulz for allowing me to return to the Office of the Provost and serve in this role during the first three years of his administration. I also want to express my appreciation to everyone who has supported me personally and provided the teamwork necessary to advance the academic enterprise at WSU over the past four years. First, the small, but mighty, staff in the Office of the Provost that work tirelessly on behalf of our faculty and students and have been intensely loyal. Second, our academic deans who have stood with me during some of the most challenging fiscal times experienced at WSU in recent years. And finally, our faculty and staff, who do incredible work on a daily basis, “punching above their weight” in service to our students and the institution.

I look forward to continuing to work with President Schulz and the University community in different capacities once a permanent provost appointment is made. Until then, we have much work to do and several ongoing initiatives to complete as we continue to advance academic excellence at Washington State University.

Best regards,


Daniel J. Bernardo
Provost and Executive Vice President
Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President | Washington State University
PO Box 641046, Pullman, WA 99164-1046