Laurie McCauley

Laurie McCauley is provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. Prior to her appointment as provost on May 16, 2022, she served as the dean of the School of Dentistry. She is the William K. and Mary Anne Najjar Professor of Periodontics in the Dental School and professor of pathology in the Medical School.

An active researcher supported by the National Institutes of Health for more than 25 years, her work focuses on parathyroid hormone anabolic actions in bone, immune cell functions in bone, and prostate cancer skeletal metastasis. This mechanistic and translational research contributes to regenerative medicine and the development of treatments for inflammatory mediated bone loss.

She has held visiting appointments at the Institut de Genetique et de Biologie Moleculaire et Cellulaire, the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, and the Center for Experimental Therapeutics and Reperfusion Injury, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School. Among her many recognitions, she has been awarded a distinguished scientist award (International Association for Dental Research), a distinguished alumna award (The Ohio State University) and the Norton M. Ross Award for Excellence in Clinical Research (American Dental Association). She is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of the National Academy of Medicine where she serves as section chair.

At U-M, she chaired the Department of Periodontics and Oral Medicine, led several campus efforts in campaign planning, professional standards, and pandemic planning.  She has been a champion for diversity, equity, and inclusion receiving the Ida Gray Award for her outstanding efforts in promoting multicultural ideals. As dean, she actively worked to reduce student debt, and oversaw a $142 million expansion and renovation of the Dental School’s clinical and educational facilities.

She joined U-M as an assistant professor of dentistry in 1992. She holds four degrees from The Ohio State University: bachelor of science in education, doctor of dental surgery, master of science in dentistry, and Ph.D. in veterinary pathology.