Elizabeth Hudson was appointed and started her tenure as Ï㽶´«Ã½â€™s provost, senior vice president for academic affairs, and chief academic officer on August 1, 2025. She succeeds Jamshid Mohammadi, who served in an interim capacity since February 2025.
A highly accomplished scholar and academic leader at some of the world’s most admired universities, Hudson joined Ï㽶´«Ã½ after most recently serving as dean of the College of Arts, Media, and Design at Northeastern University, where she led a period of significant academic transformation. During her tenure, she partnered with computing, engineering, business, and science colleagues to launch new interdisciplinary programs; grew graduate and undergraduate enrollment dramatically; expanded research output sevenfold; and built an external research ecosystem across the college through fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and launching new strategic initiatives. She also led significant investments and growth in full-time faculty, staff, and technology labs while ensuring long-term financial strength.
Prior to her time at Northeastern, Hudson served as the inaugural director of the New Zealand School of Music from 2006–13, a joint venture of Massey University and Victoria University of Wellington, where she led a successful academic and operational merger, advanced research performance, and established long-term financial stability. She also served as chair of the McIntire Department of Music at the University of Virginia from 2002–05, in addition to holding a multitude of leadership roles, including serving as director of undergraduate and graduate programs, during 15 years at Virginia.
Hudson received a B.A. in music from Smith College and an M.A. and Ph.D. in musicology from Cornell University.