Provost Brad Cook

1. What exactly is a provost and how does what a provost do differ from what a university president does?

A PROVOST IS THE CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER ON THE CAMPUS.  I ALSO CARRY THE TITLE OF VP OF ACADEMIC AFFAIRS.  I MAINLY WORK TO MAKE SURE STUDENTS HAVE A QUALITY ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE.  I WORK WITH THE DEANS, DEPARTMENT CHAIRS AND FACULTY ON ISSUES RELATED TO CURRICULUM, ACCREDITATION, FACULTY HIRING, PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT, TENURE AND RANK ADVANCEMENT OF FACULTY, FACULTY DEVELOPMENT, ETC.

2. How did you complete your PhD from Oxford in two years? 
Apparently you were there only for two years?

IT TOOK ME FOUR YEARS TO COMPLETE MY DOCTORATE FROM OXFORD (1995-1999).  I SPENT THE FIRST TWO YEARS IN OXFORD COMPLETING COURSES, BUT WHEN I WAS IN THE FINAL STAGES OF MY DISSERTATION, I SPENT TIME IN EGYPT DOING RESEARCH AND FIELD WORK AND ALSO TIME IN UTAH TEACHING AT BYU WHILE COMPLETING THE WRITING PORTION OF THE DEGREE.  I RETURNED TO DEFEND THE DISSERTATION.

3. How did you like your experience as the Director of Abu Dhabi Women's College?

I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!  THE COLLEGE HAD 3000 AMAZING AND MOTIVATED WOMEN WORKING ON VARIOUS DEGREES. IT WAS AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE THAT I WILL CHERISH FOR A LIFETIME. 

4. You indirectly worked on the reconstruction of Kuwait's oil fields after the Gulf War. What can you tell us about your experiences in those days? Overall how did you like the experience of living in the middle east with Islamic people?

I GREW UP IN SAUDI ARABIA BEGINNING WHEN I WAS 11 YEARS OLD UNTIL I WAS 15.  IT WAS A DEFINING EXPERIENCE FOR ME AND WHEN I RETURNED TO THE U.S. I FOUND MY SELF GRAVITATING TO SUBJECTS RELATED TO THE MIDDLE EAST.  SINCE THEN, I HAVE LIVED IN EGYPT, KUWAIT AND THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES.  I CONSIDER THAT REGION TO BE A SECOND HOME.

5. What can you share about your football experiences at Stanford?

HAD A GREAT TIME AS A CORNERBACK AT STANFORD.  I WAS ALL PAC 10 AND WAS SECOND IN THE CONFERENCE FOR INTERCEPTIONS.  I EVEN WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO INTERCEPT TROY AIKMAN.  I LOVED PLAYING FOOTBALL AND IT TAUGHT ME SO MUCH ABOUT PERSONAL DISCIPLINE, TEAMWORK, PERSISTENCE AND A WHOLE HOST OF POSITIVE LIFE LESSONS.

6. I hear you served an LDS mission in Pennsylvania?

YES, IN THE HARRISBURG REGION OF THE STATE. 

 
7. Now is Cairo your son or daughter? That is such a cool name!

CAIRO IS MY 10 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER.

 
8. How old is your oldest child and what do your children do now? Do any of them go to SUU?

MY OLDEST, SAM, IS 12.  CAIRO IS OUR SECOND CHILD, AND I THEN HAVE TWIN 7 YEAR OLD BOYS THAT WE CALL THE WMDs (WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION)

9. When you were an Assistant Professor at BYU, you did not have your PhD in hand. How could you still serve on doctoral dissertation committees at BYU?

WHILE TEACHING AT BYU I WAS WHAT WAS CALLED ABD (ALL BUT DISSERTATION).  AS SUCH, I COULD SERVE ON A LIMITED CAPACITY ON THE PHD DISSERTATION COMMITTEES.  ONCE I HAD THE DEGREE IN HAND, I WAS GIVEN GREATER RESPONSIBILITIES.  I STILL SERVE ON VARIOUS MASTERS AND DOCTORAL DISSERTATION COMMITTEES AROUND THE STATE.

10. What does your wife do in Cedar City and how does she occupy herself when you are at work? How does she like it here?

MY WIFE TERRI LOVES CEDAR CITY.  SHE IS VERY BUSY HERE WITH FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES, BUT SHE ALSO IS A GUEST PRESENTER ON CHANNEL 5 (KSL), STUDIO 5, DOING FEATURES ON CULINARY ARTS AND OTHER HOSTING TIPS.

11. What do you do for recreation in Cedar City?

I COACH MY KIDS SPORTS TEAMS, READ A LOT, AND WORK!