Academic Search Seeking Provost for James Madison University
September 28, 2026 – Education-focused executive recruitment firm Academic Search has been selected by James Madison University to lead in its search for a new provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. Senior consultant Ann Die Hasselmo, consultant Christopher Butler, and associate consultant Kate Cusimano are leading the assignment. The school seeks an innovative and responsive leader to serve as its next provost and senior vice president for academic affairs.
Serving as the chief academic officer at James Madison University, the provost and senior vice president for academic affairs reports to the president and must be an innovative and responsive partner who is committed to the university’s mission, where what’s best for students is the north star, and which prioritizes academic excellence, student success, and research innovation.
The successful candidate will support shared governance and transparency in decision-making and will be committed to intellectual diversity on campus. The next provost will be someone who can partner with the president, his leadership team, faculty, staff, students, and other stakeholders to continue to elevate the university’s distinct national profile. This will require a strategic thinker who can integrate academic rigor with operational efficiency, and a skilled communicator who builds trust with faculty and across the campus community. The next provost must be adaptive and forward-looking, able to navigate emerging challenges in higher education, while being a responsive partner for industry and benefactors.
James Madison University is a public university in Harrisonburg, VA. Founded in 1908, the institution offers undergraduate and graduate programs across a broad range of disciplines, including business, education, health and behavioral studies, science and mathematics, arts and letters, and integrated science and engineering. JMU enrolls more than 20,000 students and is known for its emphasis on undergraduate education, student engagement, and applied learning opportunities.
For over three decades, Academic Search has been a leader in designing and implementing search processes for leaders of colleges and universities across the country. The firm has completed hundreds of executive searches for higher education institutions and related organizations, for roles ranging from presidents to provosts to deans. Academic Search has a formal relationship to a premier leadership development program. As the subsidiary of the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI), the firm provides substantial financial support to a number of leadership identification, development, and support programs across all sectors of public and private higher education. The firm is headquartered in Washington, D.C.
Dr. Hasselmo is president emerita of the AALI and of Hendrix College. Prior to becoming the founding president of AALI, she was managing director of Academic Search Consultation Service. Her earlier career in higher education administration spanned positions from faculty leadership to the presidency. Dr. Hasselmo’s experience includes work at both public and private colleges and universities. She has also held a variety of chairs and presidencies of national higher education boards and associations.
Mr. Butler is responsible for assisting the lead consultants with research functions, preparing written documents for searches, recruiting and evaluation of applicants, and providing assistance to the lead consultants during committee meetings and neutral site interviews. He came to Academic Search from Apex CoVantage, a business solutions firm, in which he worked in the editorial division and supervised prepress work on academic monographs and textbooks.
Related: Academic Search Assists the University of Nebraska in Recruiting New President
Ms. Cusimano joined Academic Search in 2019. She has been involved in a variety of searches for both public and private institutions, inclusive of those with Carnegie R1 and R2 research classifications. These searches have included presidencies, provosts, and other cabinet-level vice presidencies, and deans of academic units.
University of Alabama Search
Academic Search recently assisted in the recruitment of Peter J. Mohler as the 30th president of the University of Alabama. Stuart R. Bell, the 29th president of the University of Alabama, stepped down from the presidency mid-summer, completing a decade in the school’s top leadership role. Academic Search has partnered with UA on several successful searches, including the hiring of former president Robert E. Witt and the hiring of current president Dr. Bell.
“Dr. Mohler is uniquely equipped to build upon the University of Alabama’s strong foundation and lead this institution into an even brighter future,” said UA System chancellor Sid J. Trant, who recommended Mohler’s appointment to the board. “He is a champion for the power of public higher education to transform lives and communities through teaching, research and service, and he will advance our flagship mission through his bold, student-centered and visionary leadership.”
A distinguished leader with over 20 years of experience in higher education, Dr. Mohler previously served as executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge at Ohio State University and chief scientific officer of OSU’s Wexner Medical Center.
Related: Academic Search Recruits President for Norwich University
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
