Interim Provost Chris Bracey has been named to the role permanently, interim University President Mark Wrighton announced at a Faculty Senate meeting Friday afternoon.
Bracey had served in the role in an interim capacity since last summer when Brian Blake left GW. Wrighton said he has worked with Bracey, formerly the vice provost for faculty affairs and a professor of law, since last year, and he was named to the permanent position effective Feb. 1.
“I know that Chris is eager to begin his work in this official capacity, and he’s been very hard at work,” Wrighton said at the meeting.
The move comes as officials have been working to improve shared governance at GW through a series of town hall meetings and surveys. Bracey represents administrators on the shared governance task force’s steering committee.
Wrighton said officials named Bracey as permanent provost after consultation with members of the senate’s executive committee. Arthur Wilson, the executive committee chair, and other senators congratulated Bracey during Friday’s meeting.
Bracey has also been named an executive vice president in line with tradition for past provosts.
“It’s my privilege to have your confidence in leading the academic enterprise at the George Washington University,” Bracey told Wrighton at the meeting.
During his time as interim provost, Bracey has spearheaded the University’s internal diversity review. He also oversaw a reclassification of postdoctoral researchers from staff members to trainees in September, which he said at the time would improve the University’s research profile.
Bracey joined GW in 2008 as a GW Law faculty member, recently serving as interim dean for roughly a year. He has served as vice provost for faculty affairs since 2016.
“Leading the University’s academic enterprise is a significant test that I take very seriously,” Bracey said. “And I recognize that this requires a valued and committed partnership of the University’s administration, deans and faculty leaders, particularly the Faculty Senate.”
