Office of the Provost Staff
This page is under review as part of the Academic Affairs restructuring process, and content may be updated periodically.
Please contact the Office of the Provost at 616-331-2400 with questions.
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
Jennifer A. Drake
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
(616) 331-2400
Academic Programs
Erica R. Hamilton
Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
3090 Zumberge Hall
(616) 331-6673
[email protected]
Areas of Responsibility:
- Academic program review and portfolio planning
- Curriculum development, academic program approval, and assessment
- Institutional and program assessment and accreditation, including Higher Learning Commission
- Online academic portfolio development and strategy
- Graduate education
- Dual enrollment and inter-institutional academic partnerships
- Ex officio: University Assessment Committee, University Curriculum Committee, New Programs Council, Graduate Council, Online Education and Microcredential Council
Administrative Operations and Academic Communications
Mary Albrecht
Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
(616) 331-2400
[email protected]
Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs
Ed Aboufadel
Senior Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
(616) 331-2400
[email protected]
Areas of Responsibility:
- Faculty lifecycle: hiring, personnel processes, workload, etc.
- Faculty governance
- Academic staff matters
- Development, implementation, and interpretation of policies and procedures
- Academic Affairs strategic planning
- Strategic innovation initiatives
- Liaison with the People, Equity & Culture division, General Counsel, and the Title IX/Civil Rights Office
- Ex officio: Faculty Personnel Policy Committee, Affiliate Faculty Advisory Committee, and Equity and Inclusion Committee
Strategic Budget Management
Paul Isely
Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
(616) 331-7418
[email protected]
Areas of Responsibility:
- Evaluate and monitor approved budgets
- Budget forecasting
- Enrollment/capacity/hiring decision planning
- Proformas for all new programs
- Liaison to Finance and Administration
- Facilitate hiring through Workday
- Liaison with Information Technology regarding funding needs for technology
- Ex officio: Faculty Salary and Budget Committee
Strategy and Data Management
Aaron Lowen
Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
(616) 331-2400
[email protected]
Areas of Responsibility:
- Academic portfolio
- Academic program health assessment, academic program review, and new academic program proposals (data support and market analysis)
- Academic spaces / facilities
- Course scheduling
- Data and analytics
- Data platforms support (Digital Measures, Gray DI, and Power BI/Data Lakehouse)
- Forecasting (non-budgetary)
- Support for enrollment, capacity, and hiring decision-making
- Workload reporting and analysis
- Ex-officio: Data Advisory Council, Faculty Facility Planning Advisory Committee, New Programs Council, and University Technology Council
Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center
Christine Rener
Vice Provost for Teaching and Learning
068 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
(616) 331-3498
[email protected]
Areas of Responsibility:
- Faculty professional development related to teaching, learning, curriculum development, student success, and professional effectiveness
- General Education and supplemental writing skills programs
- New faculty orientation
- Ex officio: Academic Technology Advisory Committee, Faculty Teaching and Learning Center Advisory Committee, General Education Committee, and Online Education and Microcredential Council
Faculty Research and Innovation Center
Ryan Otter
Vice Provost for Research and Innovation
049 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
(616) 331-3047
[email protected]
Areas of Responsibility:
- Faculty support services connected to research, scholarship and/or creative activity
- Professional development
- Internal grant support for faculty
- Support for grant development and submission
- Support for contract development and execution
- Research compliance and integrity (human subjects, animals, export controls, etc.)
- technology commercialization (intellectual property, patents, and spinout company logistics)
- Oversight of the Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy
Center for Student Success and Experiential Learning
Donovan Anderson
Vice Provost for Student Success and Experiential Learning
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
(616) 331-2400
[email protected]
Areas of Responsibility:
- Higher Learning Commission Open Quality Initiative
- Student concerns and complaints
- Student support (academic advising, First-Year Academic Experience, retention, graduation, and student success)
- Experiential learning (student research, study abroad and study away, and internship support)
- Community engagement
- Chief International Officer
- Ex-officio: Academic Policies and Standards Committee, and International Education Committee
Phuong Vo
Assessment and Accreditation Specialist
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
(616) 331-2400
[email protected]
Becky Beechler
Business Analyst
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
(616) 331-8722
[email protected]
Trista Shumway
Director, Graduate Education
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
(616) 331-2400
[email protected]
Krystal Vanden Bosch
Project Specialist for Provost Initiatives
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
(616) 331-2400
[email protected]
Justine Rau Kibet
Executive Assistant to the Provost
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
(616) 331-8058
[email protected]
Becki Visser
Executive Assistant
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
(616) 331-2176
[email protected]
Jill B. Salisbury
Executive Assistant
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
(616) 331-2400
[email protected]
Sheri DeVries
Administrative Assistant
3090 James H. Zumberge Hall (JHZ)
(616) 331-7123
[email protected]