Vice Provost of University Life Mamta Accapadi resigns

Vice Provost of University Life Mamta Accapadi announced her resignation on June 14 via LinkedIn, calling it "one of the hardest life updates I have shared" in a written post.

Accapadi was first appointed to the position in July 2020. In her post, Accapadi cited her desire to be closer with extended family in Austin, Texas, as one of her reasons for departure. “Simply put, my little family needs the support and care of our larger family, so we will be moving back home to Austin. I personally need the space for reflection, reconciliation, and restoration,” Accapadi wrote. Senior Associate Vice Provost for Student Affairs Tamara Greenfield King will serve as the interim vice provost of University Life.

“The past few years in Philadelphia have been among the most intense and most precious times I have shared in community with my colleagues and friends,” Accapadi wrote. She also applauded her University Life team for their effort and collaboration.

Accapadi began her tenure during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, she expanded communication with the University's Undergraduate Assembly and adapted Weingarten Center programming to align with student needs during remote-learning semesters. 

She also sought to advance student care and wellness, develop student-led multicultural initiatives, and create diversity education programs and workshops at Penn. 

Before Penn, Accapadi was vice president for Student Affairs of Rollins College for over seven years and dean of Student Life of Oregon State University for four years. Accapadi received her bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees in education administration at the University of Texas at Austin.

“We are grateful for all that Mamta has done to support our students and campus as we navigated the pandemic, welcomed students back to campus and put in place supports to help build a stronger sense of community," University spokesperson Ron Ozio said in an email to The Daily Pennsylvanian. "We have confidence in the University Life team in continuing the work set forth for the summer and upcoming year – including, but not limited to the planning for the ARCH and the continued work related to the Cultural Center Review – and are very pleased that Tamara Greenfield King is able and willing to serve in the interim role.”

King will serve as the interim vice provost for University Life and maintain her role as senior associate vice provost for Student Affairs. King first joined the Penn community in 2019 after 20 years in culminating roles at Washington University in St. Louis.

The Office of University Life’s priorities include maintaining an inclusive environment on campus in which students can grow intellectually and engage in meaningful experiential opportunities, according to the University Life website. It also oversees student-related activity including the Office of Student Affairs, the Office of Fraternity/Sorority Life, cultural centers, and student support services.