Jennifer Drake, Ph. D - Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

We're kicking off the academic year by welcoming Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Jennifer Drake, PhD  to the podcast.   Provost Drake came to GVSU in 2020 to serve as Dean of our College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.  In 2024, she became Acting Provost and was named permanent provost in April 2025.    She’s spent her career in Higher Education, including serving as provost at the Evergreen State College and earned her bachelor's degree in religious studies at Brown University and her masters and PhD in literature and creative writing at Binghamton University.  In our discussion, we learn about how these experiences have prepared her for this role and made a positive impact on her leadership style.