AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin announces the appointment of Robert H. McDonald as Senior Vice Provost and Director of the University of Texas Libraries, effective August 16, 2025. McDonald currently serves as Dean of University Libraries and Senior Vice Provost of Online and Extended Education at the University of Colorado Boulder, where he has led transformative initiatives in digital scholarship, online learning and library services.
“Robert McDonald has a deep understanding of the evolving role that research libraries play in higher education and beyond,” said David Vanden Bout, Interim Executive Vice President and Provost. “I am confident that his proven leadership in digital strategy, scholarly communication and academic innovation will enable him to further UT Libraries’ legacy of innovation. His leadership will be a powerful asset as we weigh the opportunities presented by emerging technologies during this ongoing period of transformation.”
McDonald's expertise spans higher education leadership, teaching and learning technologies, open-source software development, scholarly communication and emerging publishing models. His research has focused on digital libraries, large-scale humanities cyberinfrastructure, data preservation and integration of learning ecosystems. He has also explored lean and agile frameworks in technology management, data analytics and big data cyberinfrastructure in collaborative and grant-funded environments.
At CU Boulder, McDonald has overseen strategic initiatives in digital library services and online program development, including the expansion of alternative credentialing programs and learning technologies that support researchers and students across disciplines. He guided adoption of an open-source, community-based Library Services Platform to secure sustainable and affordable software for CU Boulder’s Libraries.
A prolific speaker and writer, McDonald has been an editor for “EDUCAUSE Review,” and has extensive experience supporting and organizing professional conferences, most recently serving as co-chair for the 2025 UPCEA Annual Conference. He has also held governance positions on the boards of notable professional organizations, including the Association of Research Libraries, the Association of College & Research Libraries, the HathiTrust Board of Governors and the Colorado Alliance of Research Libraries.
"I am honored to be named as the next senior vice provost and director of UT libraries for the University of Texas at Austin, one of the premier research libraries in North America,” says McDonald. “Lorraine Haricombe has been a mentor to me, and to many others in our profession, and it is my privilege to take up this role following her exceptional leadership.”
“The UT Libraries have a fabulous set of resources and most importantly, a tremendous group of librarians and staff. I look forward to partnering with them and the whole campus community to chart the course for the future of this remarkable library system."
Prior to his time at CU Boulder, McDonald served in leadership roles at Indiana University Bloomington, where he helped build national infrastructure for digital preservation and cyberinfrastructure initiatives, including work with the HathiTrust Research Center and the IU Data to Insight Center, and has held positions at the San Diego Supercomputer Center at UC San Diego, Florida State University and Auburn University. He holds a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of South Carolina and a Master of Music from the University of Georgia.
The University of Texas Libraries system is among the largest academic library systems in the nation, housing more than 10 million volumes and supporting the research and teaching mission of the university through both branch locations, including the flagship Perry-Castañeda Library, and special collections like the Benson Latin American Collection and the Alexander Architectural Archives.
McDonald succeeds Lorraine J. Haricombe, who has served as Vice Provost and Director of Libraries from 2015.
Haricombe’s achievements include the significant renovation and modernization of library spaces to better serve students, faculty and researchers. Under her leadership, the Libraries embraced principles of open access, including the launch of a student-focused Open Educational Resources program to reduce course material costs. She also oversaw the implementation of a new digital asset management platform to support scholarship and preservation and introduced an integrated library system to enhance access to critical resources across collections and services. Haricombe has positioned the University of Texas Libraries as a leader in digital scholarship and library innovation while continuing to expand and enhance the university’s world-class research collections.