Illinois State University Interim President Aondover Tarhule has announced that Dr. Ani Yazedjian will assume the role of acting provost, effective immediately. Dr. Yazedjian has served as associate provost since 2019.
“Dr. Yazedjian brings a wealth of academic and administrative experience to her new role,” said Tarhule. “She is well-respected among her campus colleagues, and I have full confidence that she will be an effective and dynamic leader for the Academic Affairs division.”
In her role as associate provost, Yazedjian oversaw new program development through the Illinois Board of Higher Education, institutional accreditation through the Higher Learning Commission, and was actively involved in the creation of the new College of Engineering. On campus, she supervised the Center for Civic Engagement, the Office of International Education, and University Assessment Services. Yazedjian served on the university strategic planning steering team and the COVID-19 steering team.
“It is an honor to be able to serve the University in this capacity,” said Yazedjian, who came to the Office of the Provost in 2019. “I look forward to continuing the work that makes Illinois State an excellent place for learning and research, and a place of belonging where all students, faculty, and staff can thrive.”
Dr. Yazedjian has also served as chair of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at Illinois State. As chair, she led the increase in the number of degree programs in the department, developed the first accelerated master’s degree programs on campus, created a new online dietetic internship certificate, increased student enrollment, oversaw over $1 million in equipment and facilities upgrades, and secured donor contributions for five new scholarships. She was named a University Professor in 2013 and received the University’s Distinguished Service Award in 2023.
Over the last two decades, Yazedjian received more than $7 million in federal grants to support her scholarly interests in adolescent development focusing on the experiences of underserved youth. This included the CARE4U program, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families. She had prior experience implementing two similar, federally funded programs.
Nationally, Dr. Yazedjian has served in leadership roles with the National Council on Family Relations, the Council for Accreditation of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, and the Council for Administrators in Family and Consumer Sciences. She was selected by the Higher Education Resource Services for the Wellesley Institute, which develops women leaders in higher education. In 2021, she received the Marie F. Peters Award from the National Council on Family Relations, a biennial recognition given to a distinguished scholar, researcher, or practitioner who has made significant contributions to the area of racial and ethnic diversity in families.
Prior to her time at Illinois State, Yazedjian was a faculty member in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences at Texas State University. In 2010, she was appointed as Presidential Fellow where she served on the President’s Cabinet and focused on developing and implementing internationalization efforts across campus.
Yazedjian earned a doctorate and master’s degree in human and community development from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Florida.
In the local community, she has been involved with the Family and Consumer Science Professionals of McLean County and volunteered with Junior Achievement. She also served for six years on the Board of the Multicultural Leadership Institute and continues to serve as mentor.
NOTE: Dr. Ani Yazedjian’s name is pronounced as AH-nee Yeh-ZED-jin.
