Mark Harmon-Vaught will join Rice as associate vice president and chief of staff in the Office of the President.
Harmon-Vaught is currently the chief of staff for the University of Pennsylvania’s acclaimed Graduate School of Education. He will join Rice Aug. 10.
As chief of staff, Harmon-Vaught will serve as a strategic adviser to President Reginald DesRoches and work to advance the university’s goals through coordinating the president’s cabinet, senior leadership teams and office, supporting presidential committees, and overseeing the operational and financial affairs of the office. He will also serve as a key liaison, along with the university’s vice presidents, to external partners.
“Mark brings a strong understanding and appreciation for Rice’s distinctive residential college system and liberal arts and science foundation. He is experienced in navigating the complexity of a top-tier research university and building partnerships with key internal and external stakeholders,” DesRoches wrote in a message to faculty and staff June 9. “He in particular will play a critical role in advancing presidential initiatives for Rice’s strategic plan, Momentous: Personalized Scale for Global Impact.”
“Rice is doing something rare in higher education: scaling its research ambitions and expanding access without sacrificing the culture of care that makes Rice, Rice,” Harmon-Vaught said. “That combination is what drew me here, and I am eager to support President DesRoches and the Rice community in the work ahead. It is a great privilege to join Reggie and the leadership team as we work to realize the bold and exciting vision of Momentous.”
Harmon-Vaught has held roles across K-12 and higher education, including serving as chief of staff and secretary to the board of trustees at Wagner College in New York. He serves as co-chair of the board of trustees for Bridge Preparatory Charter School, New York’s first public school designed to serve students with dyslexia. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Franklin & Marshall College and a master’s in education leadership from Harvard University. He is married to Dr. Emily Hawk, a U.S. historian and assistant professor at SUNY Cortland.