By Coral Gables Gazette staff
The University of Miami has named Joel Hassman Samuels, a nationally recognized scholar and administrator with deep experience in law, research, and faculty development, as its new executive vice president for academic affairs and provost. Samuels will begin his role on August 11, succeeding Guillermo “Willy” Prado, who served as interim provost for the past two years.
Samuels comes to the U from the University of South Carolina, where he served for the past five years as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences—the largest college at that institution—overseeing a $450 million budget, transforming its research enterprise, and launching its fastest-growing academic major. University of Miami President and CEO Joseph “Joe” Echevarria called Samuels “a proven and dynamic leader,” citing his unique combination of academic, legal, and administrative experience.
“The combination of Joel’s background as a tenured law professor, researcher, and administrator uniquely equips him to understand the challenges and opportunities across our schools and colleges,” Echevarria said.
Transformative leadership at South Carolina
During Samuels’ tenure at USC, he oversaw significant academic expansion, increased federal grant funding by more than 70 percent, and helped the college surpass $50 million in federal awards in a single year for the first time in its history. His leadership spanned 10,000 students and 26 departments across the arts, humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
Samuels also strengthened the university’s philanthropic profile. In 2023, he secured a $75 million naming gift for the College of Arts and Sciences—the largest programmatic gift in USC history. The gift supports faculty recruitment, student internships, and research in neuroscience, a program Samuels launched that has become the university’s fastest-growing major.
He also served as executive director of South Carolina’s Rule of Law Collaborative, where he was lead investigator on more than $27 million in federal grants, making him the university’s top-funded social scientist.
Academic and personal depth
A graduate of Princeton University, where he earned his degree in politics magna cum laude, Samuels also holds a law degree from the University of Michigan, where he was a Clarence Darrow Scholar, and a master’s in Russian and East European Studies. He is a tenured law professor with more than 20 years of experience in higher education.
Known for his versatility as a leader, Samuels also brings an unusual credential to the provost’s office: he previously coached the Columbia QuadSquad roller derby team for seven years, taking them from the bottom of the rankings to No. 26 in the world. “We took a small-town amateur team and competed with professional athletes from the world’s biggest cities,” he said. “We did that as a team and as a family, and that is the culture I seek to infuse everywhere I work.”
A new chapter at the U
In a written statement, Samuels said he is honored to lead the University of Miami’s academic enterprise “into its next century,” following the school’s recent centenary celebration.
“In the coming years, I look forward to working with partners across our campuses and in our community to expand our impact on and through our students, through innovative research and creative achievement, through the delivery of extraordinary clinical care, all framed by a commitment to excellence in everything we do,” he said.
President Echevarria praised outgoing interim provost Prado for steadying the university through a transitional period, citing his success in appointing key academic leaders, launching the Center for Academic Navigation and Success, and laying the groundwork for a new vision in online learning. Prado will remain in a senior university role.
Samuels’ appointment also comes as the university prepares to launch a new chief scientific officer position, which Echevarria described as a reflection of “our invigorated commitment to excellence in research and scientific innovation.” The new role will complement the broad academic oversight that Samuels will provide as provost.
“As we continue to expand our impact in STEM fields and the basic sciences,” Echevarria said, “it is clear that having dedicated, strategic leadership to champion scientific research across disciplines will further distinguish the U on the national and global stage.”
Samuels is expected to bring energy, strategic depth, and a team-centered approach to the role—qualities he has honed across disciplines, campuses, and even roller derby tracks.
