Paula Lemons, a distinguished University of Georgia faculty member and academic leader, has been named associate provost for faculty affairs. Her appointment was effective June 1.
Lemons will lead the Office of Faculty Affairs and work closely with campus leaders on faculty‑related policies, processes and records. She will also oversee professional development programming supporting faculty across their academic careers. A member of the UGA faculty since 2009, Lemons currently serves as a University Professor, senior associate dean for academic innovation and professor of biochemistry and molecular biology in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences.
“Dr. Lemons brings a record of exceptional teaching, scholarship and service to the position of associate provost for faculty affairs,” said Elizabeth Weeks, vice provost for academic affairs. “Her career has been defined by a commitment to academic excellence and institutional service.”
Lemons has served as senior associate dean for academic innovation in the Franklin College since 2024, where she leads the Office of Academic Innovation. In this role, she advances strategic initiatives to strengthen undergraduate and graduate education, expand interdisciplinary programs and support student success across the college’s academic programs.
From 2021 to 2024, Lemons served as associate dean overseeing the social and behavioral sciences. She worked closely with department heads and directors on faculty affairs processes, including recruiting, hiring, evaluation, promotion and tenure, third‑year review, post‑tenure review and Presidential Hiring Initiative proposals.
A nationally recognized leader in STEM education and institutional transformation, Lemons is also an accomplished scholar in biology education research. Her work focuses on how students learn complex scientific concepts and how institutions can improve teaching evaluation and instructional practices. Her research has been supported by organizations including the National Science Foundation and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and has been published in journals such as Educational Psychology Review and CBE–Life Sciences Education.
Her honors include the NSF’s Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers and UGA’s University Professorship, a title recognizing faculty who have made significant contributions to the university in addition to their academic responsibilities. Lemons earned her doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Kentucky and completed postdoctoral training at Duke University.