Grand Valley State President Philomena V. Mantella has named Jennifer Drake as the new provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. Drake has previously served in that role in an interim position.
Jennifer Drake has recently been named as the new executive vice president for Academic Affairs and provost at Grand Valley State University by President Philomena V. Mantella.
The appointment was made effective with the announcement on April 11, 2025. Drake has most recently been serving as Grand Valley State University’s acting provost and executive vice president for Academic Affairs, so the announcement of the appointment serves to make her interim status into a permanent placement. Prior to this position, Drake served as the dean of the university’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, which is the school’s biggest college. She attained that appointment back in 2020.
President Mantella noted that among the reasons for giving Drake her new permanent position is her strong academic leadership, her deep sense of community through the lens of navigating higher education’s constantly changing environment, and her unwavering commitment to both the teacher-scholar model and student success.
In an article posted on Grand Valley State University’s website, President Mantella was quoted speaking highly about Drake, saying, "Higher education is changing and success will require leaders who have both a collegial, bold and creative approach and the courage to embrace new ideas to find solutions to problems we can’t yet imagine. With Dr. Drake’s leadership alongside our capable and committed senior team, the provost’s cabinet and faculty and staff colleagues, we can meet the moment."
Drake is also an English professor, and previously served as the provost at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington before she came to Grand Valley State University. She noted that Grand Valley State University was attractive to her because of it being what she called “a relationship-rich institution,” which she viewed as committed to the unification of professional preparation and interdisciplinary education, which she viewed as improving the chance of student success.
He was quoted about her new appointment, saying, "I am honored to be able to serve as Grand Valley’s next provost, and to continue working in partnership with President Mantella, the senior leadership team, the provost’s cabinet team, and our amazing faculty, staff and students. Together we are ready to build Grand Valley’s future on our strong foundation."
Drake obtained her bachelor’s degree in religious studies from Brown University before moving on to earn both her master’s degree and her doctorate in creative writing and literature from Binghamton University. She also has experience serving as a dean and a professor at the University of Indianapolis.
In order to better integrate into her new position, Drake is offering two sessions in which to meet with staff and faculty. At those sessions she will make a short speech about her priorities for academic affairs, after which she will answer questions from those in attendance. No RSVP is needed to attend. The first session will take place on April 18 from 10:30 until 11:30 a.m. at the L. William Seidman Center Forum, and the second will take place on April 23 from 2 until 3 p.m., at the Alumni House.
More information about Grand Valley State University can be found at the school’s website.