Academic Affairs
Leading the Academic Mission of UM-Flint
Academic Affairs comprises several units led by the two Colleges and three Schools of the University. Academic Affairs includes:
Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
Vice Provost for Assessment and Accreditation
Abby Parrill-Baker Biography: An Academic Leader for UM-Flint
Abby Parrill-Baker joined the University of Michigan-Flint in 2025 as Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs with tenure in Green Chemistry and Biochemistry. She came to this role having most recently served as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Memphis, which includes over 400 full-time faculty. In this role, she supported development of an expanded number of pathways into professional schools, secured over $5M in funding to support experiential learning fellowships, and led college-based initiatives that contributed to the 2021 classification of the University of Memphis as a Carnegie Very High Research Institution.
Parrill-Baker previously served as Interim Provost of the University of Memphis from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023. In this role, she served on the steering committee for full implementation of a Responsibility-Centered Management budget model, assembled teams that created five earned admission options for prospective students, and served on a Tennessee Higher Education Commission task force to improve the post-approval degree program monitoring process and metrics in the state. Prior administrative roles include Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences from 2014-2019, and Chair of the Department of Chemistry from 2010-2014.
Parrill-Baker is a leading scholar in computational and medicinal chemistry. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, co-edited six books, and is co-inventor on six issued patents. Her work has been cited over 5800 times and has been supported by grants from the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, and the Elsa Pardee Foundation. This work involved trainees from high school students to postdoctoral fellows. She was recognized by the University of Memphis Alumni Foundation with the Willard R. Sparks Eminent Faculty Award in 2017 and has been recognized for excellence in teaching by three different academic institutions.