Emily Chan joins Middlebury as executive vice president and provost

On Sept. 1, Emily Chan joined Middlebury as executive vice president and provost. Hailing from Colorado College, where she spent over 20 years as both a professor and administrator, Chan is well-versed in the inner workings of a liberal arts institution, and will help take on the execution of Middlebury’s recently finalized strategic plan.

The search for a new provost began after Michelle McCauley announced that she would be stepping down from her position in Jan. 2026. She had served as provost for nearly four years and her departure marked the end of a three-decade tenure at Middlebury. On June 24 2026, Middlebury officially announced that Chan would be filling the empty role. 

Chan’s arrival comes at a time of substantial institutional change, including last year’s shuttering of the Monterey Institute for International Studies (MIIS), the transfer of some language schools back to the Middlebury campus, and the institution-wide effort to concretize a strategic plan for the college. Chan is hopeful about the changes, noting that the sale of MIIS to Soka University, an institutional partner, will make it easier to center undergraduate education at Middlebury. 

“We have our language school folks coming in to really be with all of us now, not over different campuses. It strengthens the core,” Chan said. “Those are changes that are directed at the goal, the vision of what Middlebury could be in five years, right? That it’s a strong and vibrant core of activities centered around the undergraduate experience.”

Chan previously served as vice president and dean of the faculty at Colorado College, and was also a professor of psychology, having attended Princeton University for a B.A. in psychology and the University of Michigan for her master’s and Ph.D. Her academic focus is social psychology, and she both taught undergraduates and carried out research at Colorado College. 

Chan also spearheaded much of Colorado College’s own strategic planning efforts, including the construction of a $168 million science building. She also helped create a new Center for Global Education and Field Study, expanded student research initiatives, and bolstered a program for low-income and first-generation students. A small liberal arts college itself, Chan described Colorado College as Middlebury’s “institutional cousin.” 

“I am somebody who loves the liberal arts, so I have gone through liberal arts education and continue to really like interdisciplinary learning,” Chan said. “I am a social psychologist by training, but in being a social psychologist, I find the richness of when you're not just narrowly defined by my methodologies and my papers.” 

Chan also admires Middlebury's emphasis on international affairs and language learning. Originally from Hong Kong, English is her second language. She participated in United World Colleges (UWC), a close partner with Middlebury, which further attracted her to pursue the open provost position. 

“When I saw that there is this opportunity to come where there's a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary learning, there's an international component, the UWC component, the Davis Scholar component, and truly embracing the liberal arts community, I thought, ‘well, I'd love to give it a shot,’” Chan said. 

As for her first two weeks as provost, Chan has been learning the ins and outs of Middlebury and working with both students and faculty. She has already met with Student Government Association (SGA) President Anina Dentel-Pham ’27 to discuss potential initiatives, including installation of more purified water fountains around campus. She and President Ian Baucom have continued to meet with faculty and administrators as they carry out strategic planning efforts. 

“It’s just like any liberal arts approach. We try to learn a lot. We listen. I mean, I've read all the material that I can get my hands on. I met with colleagues, staff, administrators, and faculty to just hear about how the process has been and where we are right now,” Chan said. 

As she learns more about Middlebury and its institutional needs, Chan invites conversation with students, both with the SGA and with other student organizations. 

“There might be student clubs running different activities, and you all want us as faculty, as administrators, to know more about your work,” Chan said. 

Chan has settled into the town of Middlebury, where she, her husband, and a menagerie of pet geese, ducks, a parrot, and her dog moved in this summer. Chan felt an immediate sense of community in the town, noting the welcoming nature of her new neighbors, and hopes to further strengthen the college-town relationship. 

“My vision, as well as fellow leaders on campus, is that the town is our town, and they embrace us, and the college is also the town’s place,” Chan said. 

Chan will work closely with further fundraising efforts for Middlebury’s new museum, which she hopes will draw more community members upon its opening. She also plans to continue fundraising for career opportunities in Middlebury, making it possible for both undergraduates and alumni to choose Middlebury, or Vermont, as a permanent home. 

“I think sometimes when you have new eyes from somebody who is not steeped in the institution, I can ask questions or see opportunities for innovation, and maybe create space to catalyze folks to try something new,” Chan said.