Charles Robinson has been named interim chancellor at the University of Arkansas’ flagship campus in Fayetteville, effective Aug. 16.
Robinson is currently provost and executive vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at the university. He will take over for acting Chancellor Bill Kincaid, who was named to that role following Chancellor Joe Steinmetz's sudden resignation in June.
Kincaid will return to his role as senior managing associate general counsel on that campus.
University of Arkansas System President Donald Bobbitt said in a news release that the university will conduct a national search over the course of the next year to consider internal and external candidates for the permanent chancellor position. He said he will form a search committee to help in the process.
Robinson, Ph.D., has been provost since July 2020 and vice chancellor of student affairs since 2015. He's spent more than 20 years at the UA and started his tenure as assistant professor of history. Robinson has also been chair of the African and African American Studies Program and vice provost for diversity.
Robinson led a major restructuring of the student affairs division; institutional efforts regarding diversity recruitment and student and faculty retention; and the development of new academic initiatives and development goals. Under his leadership, the university built the $79 million, 200,000-SF Adohi residence hall, the only residence hall in the country to use cross-laminated timber.
Robinson's research and teaching focuses include Southern history and race relations, African American studies, sexuality in history and civil rights.
He has been awarded the Fulbright College Master Teacher Award, Arkansas Student Alumni Board Teacher of the Year, and earned an induction into the university's Teaching Academy.
Robinson holds a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Houston, a master's degree in history from Rice University of Houston, and a doctorate in history from the University of Houston.
