Barrett (Barry) W. Thomas was appointed as senior vice provost in September 2026 after serving as associate provost for faculty and strategic operations since January 2025. As senior vice provost, he helps advance key university priorities and strategic initiatives that support the institution’s academic mission, operational excellence, and long-term success.

A nationally recognized scholar, Barry previously served as senior associate dean in the Tippie College of Business and is widely known for his research and leadership in business analytics, optimization, and reinforcement learning, with applications of artificial intelligence in healthcare, logistics, and public-sector systems. He joined Tippie in 2002 after earning MS and PhD degrees in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan and BA degrees in Mathematics and Economics from Grinnell College.

He has been a leading voice on campus regarding AI literacy, governance, and risk awareness, serving on numerous university-wide committees focused on responsible adoption of AI and has contributed to the development of the Certificate in Artificial Intelligence, established the AI Industry Advisory Board, and collaborated with Information Technology Services to expand AI resources and opportunities for faculty, staff, and students.

Barry brings deep experience in higher education governance, including 15 years as a trustee of Grinnell College and national leadership roles with the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS).