Montana Western Appoints Dr. Eric Wright as Interim Provost

May 5, 2026

The University of Montana Western is pleased to announce that it has appointed Dr. Eric Wright as Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs effective starting June 1, 2026, and would also like to express its sincere gratitude to Dr. Estee Aiken who has served as Interim Provost since December.

“I want to extend my sincere appreciation to Dr. Aiken for her dedication and steady leadership while serving in this role. Her service has been invaluable to our campus community,” said Montana Western Chancellor, Michael Reid. “I am also grateful to Dr. Wright for his willingness to step into this role. He will serve as Interim Provost until our next permanent Provost is identified.”

Dr. Aiken will begin her new role as Chancellor of the University of Montana Western on May 21, 2026, upon approval of the Board of Regents.

Dr. Wright earned his B.S. in Physics and Mathematics from Colorado State University, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from the University of Colorado. He has taught at the University of Montana Western since 2005. 

Dr. Wright’s research interests lie in analyzing and solving partial differential equations. He specializes in developing reaction-advection-diffusion models for studying the movement of chemical reactants within fluid systems in natural environments. More recently, he has begun to explore the intersection of Euclidean geometry with pre-industrial architectural and furniture design techniques. Finally, his most recent research activities center around data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. 

“I look forward to working with Dr. Wright in this capacity. His years of dedication to and deep institutional knowledge of Montana Western will be very valuable over the next year,” said Dr. Aiken.

The University will launch its search for the next permanent Provost this fall.