Greenwood Asher & Associates Seeking Provost for West Virginia University
October 3, 2025 – Miramar Beach, FL-based executive recruitment firm Greenwood Asher & Associates is currently conducting a search for a new provost and vice president for academic affairs for West Virginia University (WVU). Julie Holley and Julie Schrodt are leading the assignment for the search firm. Under the leadership of its new president Michael Benson, the university seeks an inspirational academic leader to help them the university a path forward as a land-grant institution and the flagship university of the state.
The next provost must understand WVU’s commitment to the land-grant mission and the vital role the school plays in the state, bring a substantial understanding of academic programs, research portfolio, extension and engagement programs, and evolving landscape of higher education, and demonstrate an unwavering dedication to lead in alignment with the University’s values and strategic priorities.
To serve as the university’s head academic officer, candidates must demonstrate the ability to administer all aspects of academic affairs, including overseeing academic deans, academic programs, student support services, curriculum development, faculty engagement and recruitment, academic budgets, institutional data, and accreditation. Candidates must also demonstrate the experience and capacity to lead a complex, statewide research university. It will be critical to engage the entire WVU community in manifesting a positive, compelling academic, research, and service portfolio for the university’s future.
In addition, forging strong relationships built on trust and transparency will be monumental to securing the resources necessary to carry out the university’s mission and support its students, faculty, and staff. The next provost must work closely with the deans, faculty, staff, and administration to build on the university’s commitment to its access mission to offer more opportunities to pursue a degree in higher education for all student populations.
The search will be conducted with a commitment of confidentiality for candidates until finalists are selected. Initial screening of applications will begin immediately and will continue until an appointment is made.
Related: Greenwood Asher & Associates Assists the University of Arkansas System with President Search
West Virginia University is a public, land-grant research institution located in Morgantown, WV, with additional campuses in Keyser and Beckley. Founded in 1867, WVU offers a wide range of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs across disciplines including health sciences, engineering, business, and the arts. The university enrolls tens of thousands of students from across the nation and around the world, offering more than 350 academic programs spanning undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees.
Finding Higher Education Leaders
Greenwood Asher & Associates is an executive search firm with a diverse consulting team and extensive experience in executive search, consulting, and training for education markets including elementary, secondary, higher education, university systems, campuses and non-profit organizations including associations, service, and cultural institutions. The firm was acquired in 2020 by Kelly Education, a global leader in workforce management solutions offering staffing services to top companies.
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As associate vice president of executive search, Ms. Holley has been an integral member of the Greenwood Asher & Associates team. She has completed hundreds of searches for the firm, putting a particular emphasis on identifying and recruiting leaders for presidential searches. In her work as a search consultant and practice leader, she has conducted searches in the full range of higher education organizations, but particularly focuses on searches at AAU and highly extensive research and doctoral institutions. Ms. Holley has a track record of recruiting leaders into positions at the cabinet level, including presidents, provosts, and deans. She also specializes in searches for positions relating to her legal background, including law dean and general counsel positions and other legal-related positions in higher education.
Ms. Schrodt is a senior executive search consultant with Greenwood Asher & Associates. Her responsibilities include coordinating the development of the search, recruiting candidates, referencing, and presenting a qualified candidate pool of candidates to the search committee. Previously, she was executive director of strategic communications at Northwest Florida State College.
Related: Greenwood Asher & Associates Places Provost at George Mason University
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
