The university’s current provost, Avinandan “Avi” Mukherjee, has resigned to assume a similar role at Georgia Southern University, effective July 1. Marshall University President Brad. D. Smith recently appointed retiring Dean of the College of Liberal Arts Robert “R.B.” Bookwalter to begin serving as interim provost and senior vice president for academic affairs on the same date.
A search committee has been named and is seeking insights about the position and the search from students, faculty and staff through an online survey. Academic Search will recruit candidates over the summer and finalists will be invited for on-campus interviews the week of September 22. The university intends to have Marshall’s new provost on board by the start of the Spring 2026 semester.
As chief academic officer at Marshall, the provost reports directly to the president, with the responsibility of advancing the academic mission of the university. The provost provides oversight and guidance for all academic matters, including teaching, learning, research and the student experience.
The successful candidate must be committed to facilitating and pioneering innovative change in the shifting landscape of higher education. The search committee is seeking an experienced change agent with a record of ambitious ideas and the collaborate ability to achieve clear results. Of particular interest is someone future-focused on in-demand programs delivered through effective traditional and hybrid learning environments, including classrooms, online and worksites, as well as asynchronous, interdisciplinary and experiential modalities.
To learn more about the position and the search committee, process and timeline, visit the Provost Search website.
Inquiries, nominations and expressions of interest can be submitted in confidence to MarshallProvost@academicsearch.org. The position is open until filled but only applications received by Aug. 19, 2025, can be assured full consideration.
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