About Provost Beck

When Provost Erika Beck joined Nevada State College in its opening year in 2002, there were 177 students.  By fall 2010, that number had grown to 2994.  As a founding faculty member, Dr. Beck played an active role in establishing the foundational practices necessary to facilitate this growth. She was the co-author of the College’s set of core values, called “iTeach,” which emphasizes innovation, teaching, economic development, assessment, customer service, and heritage.  In the classroom, Dr. Beck pioneered many of the innovative teaching practices that help to sustain these values.  

To support the faculty, Dr. Beck served as the first chair of the Faculty Senate, guiding them through the establishment of the College’s core policies, including the Senate By-Laws and the promotion and tenure guidelines.  In this role, she was the first faculty member to represent the College at the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents Meetings and at the State Legislature in Carson City.  In 2004, Dr. Beck began her role as the first Director of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS).  In this role, Dr. Beck implemented a divisional reorganization, developed and deployed a plan for an Instructional Technology department, led an overhaul of the general education requirements, and implemented a college-wide professional advising model.  Throughout each of these endeavors, Dr. Beck has been committed to making the College a leader in exemplary teaching practices, technology and diversity. 

In 2006, Dr. Beck became the Dean of Liberal Arts and Sciences.  The same year, the college awarded LAS the President’s “iTeach” award as the division on campus that most successfully realized all of the College’s core values.   As Dean, she played a lead role in designing and developing the first building on campus, which now houses LAS.   She also played lead roles in establishing the LAS Standards of Academe, the LAS Strategic Plan, and NSC’s Recruitment and Retention Plan.  Her work in faculty assessment was recognized a second time by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities when they awarded a commendation to the outcomes assessment process in 2008.  

Despite budget difficulties, Dr. Beck has continued to improve the quality of student learning, expand the use of technology in the classroom, and promote diverse hiring practices.  In 2009, she successfully led LAS through a 23% increase in student credit hours despite a 16% decrease in budget.  That same year, student retention increased more than 10%.

As the Provost and Executive Vice President, Dr. Beck oversees academic affairs, student affairs, enrollment management and instructional technology.  Dr. Beck holds a PhD in Experimental Psychology from the University of California, San Diego where she served as a faculty fellow prior to joining NSC.  A former Research Associate at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Dr. Beck has conducted research in the areas of developmental psychopathology and cognitive neuroscience.