Dr. Patricia B. Hyer
Associate Provost for Academic Administration
Patricia Hyer joined the staff of the Virginia Tech Provost's Office in 1987, where she oversees faculty personnel issues and is deeply engaged in policy, governance, and diversity efforts. Earlier in her career, she served as Assistant to the Vice President for Policy and Planning at the University of Maryland Central Administration and in a variety of administrative roles in continuing education at Old Dominion University and Virginia Tech.
She received her bachelor's degree summa cum laude from Hillsdale College in Michigan, two master's degrees in French and in Adult and Continuing Education from the University of Michigan, and her Ph.D. in educational policy studies from Virginia Tech.
Hyer has long been involved in women's issues at Old Dominion University and at Virginia Tech -- she was a key leader in establishing women's centers on both campuses. Over the years, she has worked with others at Virginia Tech to move the institution from a historical legacy of exclusion of women and minorities to a point where there are wide-ranging policies and programs to support the university’s commitment to diversity. She is co-author and co-principal investigator of a $3.5M NSF Advance grant to promote institutional transformation for women faculty in science and engineering at Virginia Tech. Hyer has led initiatives related to new and revised work-life policies, dual career hiring, daycare, department head training, and institutional data analysis. These efforts, along with other grant-based initiatives led by members of the AdvanceVT team and the provost, have provided an integrated set of policies and programs to address barriers to the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women faculty members in STEM fields.
Hyer served as State Coordinator for the Virginia Network from 2001-2004, a statewide organization for women administrators in higher education; she continues to serve on the state executive board for the Virginia Network. She is also a member of the Network Executive Board for the American Council on Education Office of Women in Higher Education, the national level coordinating body for the state networks.
Hyer was named the first recipient of the Virginia Tech Woman of the Year Award in Spring 1995. The award recognizes outstanding service to women faculty, staff, and students. In 2002, she was selected as Outstanding Leader of the Year by the Academy of Leadership Excellence, and in 2004 she was selected Woman of the Decade for her contributions to women at Virginia Tech. She selected as one of the 2007 Fellows of the Association for Women in Science (AWIS). The AWIS Fellows Program was created to recognize and honor women and men who have demonstrated exemplary commitment to the achievement of equity for women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.