Provost Brian Blake has hired GW’s inaugural senior associate provost for special projects.

Blake said Koren Bedeau, the former senior vice provost for academic networks at Drexel University, will help him identify and manage key priorities, beginning with onboarding a new vice provost for graduate education. Bedeau, who started at GW Wednesday, previously worked with Blake at Drexel and also served as associate dean of the Graduate School at the University of Miami.

“Anyone who knows me knows I like to gather consensus and feedback,” Blake said. “This is an opportunity for a person to help in those areas.”

Among other academic priorities, Bedeau will help finalize and possibly head the search for the new graduate education role, which emerged from a recommendation issued in January by the strategic plan’s graduate education committee, Blake said. He added that he wanted to begin the process immediately rather than wait for the final plan’s approval this summer.

Blake said the position will be filled through an internal search.

“I think there’s some great candidates on campus already – we have a great pool out there,” Blake said.