Berberich begins provost position intent on learning of opportunities, challenges at UHCL
Steven Berberich began his tenure at UHCL July 6 as the new senior vice president or Academic Affairs and provost.
Berberich was selected to succeed A. Glen Houston as provost after a nationwide search that led to him being one of five finalists who visited the university to present on the topic of a “comprehensive university transforming into the future.”
Berberich comes from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio where he served as the associate provost for Faculty and Staff Affairs from 2013 to 2018. Berberich was also the CEO of Molecular Oncology Diagnostics, LLC from 2013 to 2016.
Berberich has expressed positive thoughts on his time at UHCL so far.
“I would say my first few weeks here have been extremely positive,” Berberich said. “I’ve been very impressed with the welcoming. People are as excited about [UHCL] as I am.”
Regarding his decision to move from Ohio to Houston, Berberich said that he saw it as a professional opportunity for him.
Berberich previously served under and worked for two provosts at Wright State. He noted how those experiences and seeing everything provosts do will help in his new position.
“It was sort of like a job in training,” Berberich said. “I got to see how provosts do their job and handle situations.”
Berberich said his passion for professional development will fuel his work at UHCL.
With his career at UHCL just starting, Berberich said his current goals and plans are to engage and reach out to the UHCL community as well as meeting with key stakeholders and different individuals.
“I’ve been focusing my first few weeks on getting to know the people of UHCL and meet as many people as I can, because that’s the best way to learn about the environment and learn about opportunities and challenges we might face,” Berberich said. “In general I want to really get to know the community and the area. All of that becomes the foundation.”
Berberich said that while he does not have an individual vision, he wishes his presence at UHCL to bring a collective vision for the university and its future.
“Visions to me are the foundations served when the group comes together,” Berberich said. “So did I come to UHCL with a vision of where UHCL is going to go? I would say no. Better said, I see a lot of opportunities at UHCL. Do I have the vision? No, but am I going to help work with the community and help us realize a vision? Yes.”
Yvette Bendeck, associate vice president of Enrollment Management, said that Berberich will guide academic affairs through a strategic planning process, in partnership with President Blake, that will set the priorities and direction of UHCL.
“I expect initiatives that highlight our distinctiveness and solidifies our contributions to our community and beyond,” Berberich said.
Berberich said that he believes in being a very accessible provost to students.
“Absolutely, I have to be out there connecting to students,” Berberich said. “I’m trying to get out and meet with constituents. It’s important people see me as approachable. I intend to be accessible, recognizing my role as chief academic officer and ensure we deliver the best educational experience out there. That’s really what we’re all about here.”
Overall, Berberich expressed that he is excited to be in his new position and he intends to work hard.
“There’s an awful lot of opportunities for UHCL and I’m excited to be here at a time when the school is expanding and going through so many changes,” Berberich said. “We are building our residence hall and adding two new buildings; these changes are going to really change the educational experience for current and incoming students.”
Bendeck expressed positive thoughts on Berberich’s hiring at the campus and his future with UHCL.
“Dr. Berberich has a unique set of experiences that translates well to UHCL,” Bendeck said. “He is a strategic thinker who has experience with budgets and has experience leveraging university resources to promote student success.”
