On May 1, Hikaru “Karu” Kozuma GrEd’15 began his appointment as the University’s new vice provost for university life, moving over from College Houses and Academic Services, where he had served as executive director since 2021.
Kozuma previously served as Penn’s associate vice provost for university life, as well as executive director of the Office of Student Affairs, from 2010 to 2018. He worked under Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum, who was the provost for university life for 25 years, before Mamta Motwani Accapadi held the position from 2020 to 2022 and then Tamara Greenfield King served in the role as the interim.
At Penn, the vice provost for university life is tasked with leading the University-wide student experience, including academic, career, and personal support; community clubs and organizations; cultural resource centers; and administrative services. Kozuma, who will report directly to new provost John L. Jackson Jr., is “well known across our Penn community for his empathy, wisdom, and collaborative skill,” Beth Winkelstein EAS’93, Penn’s interim provost until Jackson takes office on June 1, said in the announcement. “He is deeply committed to the engagement and well-being of our students, both graduate and undergraduate, as his own experience encompasses every size and aspect of student life.”
Kozuma previously worked in residential programs at Columbia University and Middlebury College and was the chief student affairs officer at Amherst College from 2018 to 2021. During his first stint working at Penn, he also received an EdD in higher education from the Graduate School of Education.