An administrator at Drexel University and engineer by training will be GW’s next provost, officials announced in a University release Tuesday.
M. Brian Blake, the provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Drexel, will serve as GW’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs starting in “early November” following a nearly six-month-long search, according to the release. He will take over the position from Forrest Maltzman, the current provost, who announced in April that he would step down from his official role and take a sabbatical before returning to GW as a professor.
“I am honored to be selected as GW’s provost,” Blake said in the release. “This is an especially exciting time for the University, and I look forward to returning to D.C. and joining the many dedicated members of the university community to build on GW’s academic and research strengths and opportunities.”
As provost, Blake will oversee the University’s academic and faculty affairs at all of GW’s 10 schools, research, libraries, enrollment and diversity and assist with the planning process for GW’s next five-year strategic plan, which University President Thomas LeBlanc kicked off last month.
“Dr. Blake’s career is defined by transformative academic leadership – for undergraduate and graduate students, and for faculty and researchers across all disciplines,” University President Thomas LeBlanc said in the release. “He has the vision and a collaborative approach that will help drive the development and implementation of our new strategic plan and our strategic initiatives to strengthen the research ecosystem and enhance the student experience.”
At Drexel, Blake helped implement his school’s strategic plan and a five-year academic investment plan. Before taking his current role, Blake served in research and higher education administration roles at the University of Miami, Georgetown University and the University of Notre Dame, according to his LinkedIn profile.
At Miami, Blake served as vice provost for academic affairs during LeBlanc’s tenure as Miami’s provost, according to Blake’s LinkedIn profile and a University website.
Blake holds engineering degrees from Georgia Tech, Mercer University and George Mason University, according to his LinkedIn profile. He also worked in technical roles in the private sector at Lockheed Martin and the MITRE Corporation, according to his profile.
