William B. Farquhar, dean of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Delaware, will serve as interim University provost, effective July 1, incoming Interim President Laura Carlson announced today.

Carlson, the current provost, is succeeding President Dennis Assanis, who earlier this month announced his plans to step down on June 30. 

In announcing Farquhar’s appointment, Carlson said, “It’s my great pleasure to appoint Bill as interim provost. He has been a faculty member at UD for 23 years, and his experiences as associate dean of research in the college, as department chair, and now as dean of the College of Health Sciences have positioned him well to assume the responsibilities of this role. Bill has been incredibly effective at furthering initiatives at both the college and university levels, always while leading with an emphatic, transparent and collaborative style. I look forward to our collective work with faculty, staff and students across the University to advance UD’s academic mission.”

Farquhar commented, “It will be my honor to serve as interim provost, building upon the strong foundation for academic leadership that Laura established over the past three years as provost. With student success at the heart of our mission, I look forward to the collaborative work ahead that will elevate UD standards of excellence for teaching, research and service, helping to shape a future for impact.”

About William Farquhar

Dean of the College of Health Sciences since 2022, Farquhar has been a member of the UD faculty since 2002.

As dean, he built momentum within CHS—the college launched new academic programs, increased enrollment in several graduate programs, and strengthened its research infrastructure. Farquhar also deepened community and industry partnerships through public-facing events. A strategic plan was developed to guide this progress and align priorities across the college. He further advanced strategies to boost engagement across all areas—from students and faculty to staff and patient visits at UD Health clinics.

He previously served as dean of research in the college, and from 2011-17, he chaired the Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology. During his tenure, the department saw a growth in enrollment, supporting one of the most popular majors on campus. He also worked with leadership to dramatically expand research and teaching space and implemented a strategic plan that prioritized metrics related to rankings.

In addition, Farquhar chaired the University’s Institutional Review Board, a group of UD scientists and non-scientists as well as outside community members that reviews and approves any research involving human subjects, biospecimens or identifiable private information.

He came to UD as an assistant professor of kinesiology and applied physiology after serving as an instructor at Harvard Medical School and assistant scientist at the HRCA Research and Training Institute. At Delaware, he was promoted to associate professor in 2008 and full professor in 2014.

Farquhar’s research focuses on blood pressure, particularly hypertension and its interaction with salty diets and exercise, and it has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health for some 20 years. He publishes regularly, with more than 100 papers appearing in top journals.

A fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology and fellow and former vice president of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), Farquhar also served on the Board of Directors of the Federation of the American Societies for Experimental Biology, co-chaired ACSM's World Congress on the Basic Science of Exercise and Vascular Health, and chaired the NIH Hypertension and Microcirculation study section.

He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at East Stroudsburg University and his doctorate in exercise and sports science/exercise physiology at Pennsylvania State University.