KU names Ric Steele as new associate vice provost for graduate studies

LAWRENCE — Ric Steele, professor of applied behavioral science, has been named the new associate vice provost for graduate studies at the University of Kansas. His appointment became effective Jan. 1.

The associate vice provost for graduate studies provides faculty leadership and strategic direction to the Office of Graduate Studies. Steele will set strategic goals for graduate training at KU while working alongside academic units and senior leadership to support students, faculty and staff.

Jennifer Roberts, senior vice provost for academic affairs and graduate studies, said Steele will collaborate closely with a number of campus units, including Faculty Affairs; Academic Success; Enrollment Management; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging; and the Office of Research.

“I am excited for Ric to bring his experiences in graduate student mentoring, teaching and research to the Office of Graduate Studies,” Roberts said. “He will also be an excellent partner in working with campus units to develop and advance best practices for recruiting and supporting graduate students across the university.”

A licensed psychologist, Steele has been a professor in the Department of Applied Behavioral Science since 2000. He was also a professor in the Department of Psychology from 2000 to 2022. Steele has served in several leadership positions, including director of the Clinical Child Psychology Program from 2012 to 2022 and most recently as the interim chair in the Department of Economics and provost fellow for university assessment.

“Graduate students are such an important part of our community and play a vital role in furthering the mission of the university,” Steele said. “I am delighted to have the opportunity to join the Office of Graduate Studies in this new role. I look forward to supporting graduate students and graduate education in programs across campus and to the exciting opportunities for innovation and advancement in graduate training at KU.”

Steele’s research concentrates on the promotion of physical and mental health in children, adolescents and families across various health risk categories. Steele and his colleagues are investigating factors associated with digital health in adolescents and young adults. They are currently developing and evaluating an online intervention designed to decrease digital stress.

Steele is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and serves on editorial boards for Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology and Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review. He previously served as a member of the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board.

He also has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Byron A. Alexander Graduate Mentor Award, the William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence, the Center for Teaching Excellence Recognition of Graduate Instruction and the Society of Pediatric Psychology’s Martin P. Levin Mentorship Award.

Steele has published 97 peer-reviewed articles, 42 chapters, commentaries, reviews and encyclopedia entries and six books. He earned his doctorate and master’s in clinical psychology from the University of Georgia and a bachelor’s in psychology from Texas A&M University. After obtaining his doctorate, Steele completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Division of Behavioral Medicine at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.