GW named Duke University historian and administrator Edward Balleisen as the University’s provost and executive vice president for academic affairs effective July 1, University President Ellen Granberg announced Friday.
Balleisen — who serves as Duke University’s senior vice provost for interdisciplinary programs and initiatives, overseeing efforts to develop interdisciplinary research and education across Duke’s 10 schools — will replace Interim Provost John Lach as the University’s chief academic officer. Balleisen’s appointment wraps up officials’ nearly eight-month national search for a provost, following former Provost Chris Bracey’s departure last summer after four years in the role.
“I am deeply committed to the importance and impact of higher education and very much aware that we need research universities that can be adaptive in the face of the circumstances that we now confront,” Balleisen said in a Friday University release.
The provost is responsible for guiding GW’s overall academic enterprise and directly supervises the University’s 10 schools and colleges, institutes, museums and administration divisions. The provost also oversees the recruiting, hiring and advancement of over 2,800 faculty members.
Balleisen served as a Duke faculty member for more than 25 years and received research funding from organizations including the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress. His scholarship areas include American institutional history, ranging from business, law, public policy and regulatory governance.
As Duke’s vice provost, Balleisen has led efforts to expand interdisciplinary education, overseeing the creation, assessment, evolution and leadership selection of the university’s interdisciplinary units, according to his curriculum vitae. Balleisen also founded the Bass Connections program at Duke in 2013, supporting collaborative, interdisciplinary research on societal challenges and engaging more than 2,500 students annually through 75-80 research teams and roughly 75 project-based courses.
Balleisen earned a degree in public policy from Princeton University in 1987, followed by a Master of Philosophy in American History in 1992 and a Ph.D. in American History in 1995, both from Yale University.
Granberg said in her email to the community announcing Balleisen’s hire that he impressed officials as a strategic thinker and facilitator of innovation, adding that he puts people first through his collaborative and inclusive problem-solving, teaching, mentoring and engagement with the community.
“The depth and breadth of Balleisen’s experience will be critical in his new role leading the academic and research enterprises at GW,” Granberg said in her email.
Balleisen will join GW as officials continue rolling out the strategic framework they launched in October to guide the University’s direction over the next seven to 10 years, with Granberg writing in her email that work is already underway on all three priorities, including a foundational excellence initiative aimed at strengthening GW’s long-term financial health. The strategic framework emphasizes a more interdisciplinary approach to research and greater integration of D.C.-based experiences into student learning — priorities that Balleisen said closely align with his vision for higher education.
“The emphasis on interdisciplinarity is absolutely central to how I’ve been thinking about academic strategy for more than a decade,” Balleisen said in a release.
Officials published a position profile in November stating that the next provost should strengthen shared governance and expand the University’s research capabilities, three months after Granberg launched the search in August and appointed education consultant John Simon and a 23-member committee of trustees, faculty, staff and students to lead the process. The profile stated the provost should have experience at a university with multiple schools or campuses and complex budgets and a proven record of academic research.
The profile also highlighted they were looking for a candidate that has an open and transparent leadership style, a deep understanding of academic freedom and a sense of humor — qualities Granberg said Balleisen exuded.
“Balleisen’s genuine warmth, sense of humor and ability to connect with people also resonated with the committee,” Granberg said in her email.
Students and faculty said in August that they hope the new provost will protect the University’s current resources, build on its foundation and lead GW in the right direction, especially as President Donald Trump reshapes the higher education landscape and officials grapple with a budget deficit. Staff Councilmembers said in September they hoped GW’s next provost will remain in the position for several years, which could help support staff roles that experienced increased workloads, burnout and decreased morale during Bracey’s tenure.
As interim provost, Lach guided GW’s 10 schools and colleges through budget cuts to address the University’s structural deficit, while the University finalizes its revised budget model. He has also played a key role in launching and implementing GW’s strategic framework and steering the University through its reaccreditation process.
Lach, who did not seek the permanent role, will return to his role as dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Science, while Interim SEAS Dean Jason Zara will return to his position as the associate dean for academic affairs once Balleisen assumes his position, Granberg said in her email. Bracey will also return to the University as a GW Law faculty member after a yearlong sabbatical next academic year.
