Charles A. Dana Professor of Music Kami Rowan possesses an innate sense of curiosity, one that frequently finds her meeting questions from others with questions of her own.

So when President Kyle Farmbry last week posed a question to Kami – was she interested in taking on the role of interim Provost? – Kami had a few questions of her own.

“The first thing I asked was, ‘why do you want me?’ And the more I asked, the more confident I felt I could really serve Guilford in a positive way,” said Kami. “Every question Kyle answered I agreed with. I'm into elevating all voices. I'm into community and creating community and bringing community together. Those are things that are important to me, that I want to inspire in others through this role.”

Kyle announced Kami’s new position Wednesday. At the same time, he named Associate Academic Dean and Professor for Art Kathryn Shields as interim Associate Provost. Both will begin one-year assignments January 6.

The first time Kami applied to teach at Guilford, the College turned her away. Two years later, in 1994, she applied again. “Guilford has said ‘yes’ to me ever since,” said Kami. “I am who I am because of this place, so I owe it to the College to have any kind of positive impact that I can.”

Kathryn said she’s excited for the opportunity to work with Kami. “(Working within the  Provost’s office) the team builds on each other's strengths,” she said. “Sometimes there are things that are just expected, that are part of our responsibilities, and we take care of those, and then things pop up all the time, so it’s very helpful to have a collaborative colleague and that’s who Kami is.”

Kami said she admires Kathryn’s “double lens” as a creative and academic leader.  “She has an intense work ethic, knows the work and also isn't afraid of playing, asking and creating in order to find new ways and paths forward," said Kami.

Outgoing Provost Maria Rosales, who is leaving the post Dec. 31, said she's eager to help Kami and Kathryn transition into their new roles. "I wish Kami and Kathryn the best as they step into these new roles, for their sakes and because I love Guilford College," she said. "I am committed to working with both of these long-time colleagues to make the transition as smooth as possible."

Kami has been teaching at Guilford since 1994, part-time at first and full-time since 2005. She served as Chair of the Music Department from 2014-20. She earned her doctorate and master’s in Music at Shenandoah Conservatory of Shenandoah University (Va.), and her bachelor’s degree in Music from the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.

Kyle said he’s grown to admire and respect Kami in the three years he’s worked with her. Kami has built three programs from scratch including the College’s classical guitar program, the Classical Guitar Summit for the Eastern Music Festival and the U.S. Guitar Orchestra.

“In many ways Kami is an academic and social innovator,” said Kyle. “She understands what it means to be innovative, and this is certainly a time when we need to be innovative.”

Kathryn has been deeply involved in the operations of Academic and Student Affairs as a faculty member at Guilford since 2007 and Associate Academic Dean since 2017. She earned her doctorate in Art History at Virginia Commonwealth University, and a bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts & Sciences from Virginia Tech.

Kathryn has worked with Kyle developing the College’s Presidential Fellows program as well as facilitating many federal and private grants and funding opportunities. “Kathryn has a strong background as an administrator and a scholar that will enable her to easily step into this new role as interim-Associate Provost,” he said. “Kami and Kathryn are a good team, and I have full confidence in their ability to play key roles in carrying us forward.”