The UC Davis Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor serves as the department head of the Offices of the Chancellor and Provost. As Executive Vice Chancellor, he/she shares with the Chancellor the overall leadership and management of campus administration and operations. Within this capacity, he/she is also the UCD Affirmative Action Officer and the governing body of the UC Davis Medical Center. As Provost, he/she is the chief academic officer for the campus. As the university's #2 it is common for the holder of this position to have previously served as Chancellor/President (or a similarly high administrative office) at another university and to go on to serve as Chancellor of UC Davis or other universities.
The current Provost and Executive Vice Chancellor (as of January 1, 2011) is Ralph Hexter.
Previous holders of this office include:
| Name | Tenure | Previous Office | Subsequent Office | Academic Field 1 | ||||
| Ralph Hexter | January 1, 2011-incumbent | President, Hampshire College | incumbent | Classics & Comparative Literature | ||||
| Enrique Lavernia | January 1,2009-December 31,2010 | Dean of Engineering | Dean, College of Engineering | Chemical Engineering & Material Sciences | ||||
| Barbara A. Horowitz | July 1, 2007-December 31, 2008 | Vice Provost of Academic Personnel | Vice Provost of Academic Personnel | Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior | ||||
| Virginia Hinshaw | July 1, 2001-June 30,2007 | Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison Dean of Graduate Studies & Vice Chancellor of Research | Univ. of Hawaii, Manao Chancellor | Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior | ||||
| Robert D. Grey | May 1993 (interim)-January 1995-June 30, 2001) | Founding Dean, Division of Biological Sciences; Dean, College of Biological Sciences | Senior Advisor to the Chancellor; acting Chancellor, UC Riverside; interim UC provost | Biological Sciences | ||||
| Larry N. Vanderhoef | 1983-April 1993 | n/a | Chancellor; Chancellor emeritus | Plant Biology/Biochemistry |
- 1In the world of academia, university administrators spend years if not decades as professors before holding high administrative office
