Incoming Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Badia Ahad announced that Molly McGehee, Oxford College’s senior associate dean for academic affairs and professor of English and American Studies, will succeed her and serve as Oxford’s interim dean on Nov. 1.
Ahad has served as Oxford’s dean since 2023. Emory University appointed Ahad as the University’s next provost and executive vice president for academic affairs on Oct. 15.
In the email announcement to the Emory community, Ahad wrote that she is grateful for her experience and is proud of her accomplishments at Oxford.
“As I begin this new chapter, I carry extraordinary gratitude for my time as dean of Oxford College,” Ahad wrote. “While I was initially drawn to Oxford’s campus and commitment to students, I’ve been even more deeply impressed over the years by the remarkable colleagues with whom I served.”
Additionally, Ahad wrote that as provost, she will prioritize “collaboration and transparency,” the student experience, “faculty success” and Emory’s academic mission during her tenure.
“I approach this charge with confidence, clarity, and deep respect for the responsibility it carries, especially at this important moment for our institution and higher education more broadly,” Ahad said.
Ahad expressed that she is “confident” in McGehee’s leadership for Oxford. Additionally, Ahad praised McGehee’s tenure at Oxford in an Emory News Center article announcing the leadership transition.
“For more than a decade, Dr. McGehee has contributed greatly to Oxford as an esteemed professor and mentor to students, faculty and staff,” Ahad said. “Her passion and enthusiasm for this unique learning environment are evident in her work both inside and outside the classroom.”
McGehee said that she is honored to continue Oxford’s mission and strategic initiatives. Last year, Emory awarded McGehee the Exemplary Teacher of the Year Award, the university’s highest faculty honor.
“I intend to continue to do what I know how to do best — build trust and community, communicate clearly and honestly, listen empathetically and collaborate enthusiastically with partners across the campus and the university to further the growth of Oxford,” McGehee said.
Emory plans to launch a national search for a permanent Oxford dean in the summer of 2026 after selecting a search firm and appointing a search advisory committee.
Lauren Yee (she/her) (24Ox, 27C) is a managing editor at The Emory Wheel. She is from Hong Kong, majoring in religion and German. Outside of the Wheel, Yee is the president of the Hong Kong Student Association and the managing editor for In Via, Emory's Christian thought journal. In her free time, you can find her playing the saxophone, watching musicals, listening to Taylor Swift or enjoying a pumpkin cream chai!
