Harris Search Associates Retained by Ferris University to Lead Provost Search
October 28, 2025 – Harris Search Associates was recently tapped by Ferris University to lead in its search for a provost and vice president for academic affairs. Ed Christ is leading the assignment. The provost will build on current strengths by continuing to develop the quality and depth of faculty and staff. They will cultivate an environment of belonging that values, respects, supports, and celebrates individual similarities and differences, allowing students, faculty and staff to thrive authentically.
Those applying should have an earned doctorate degree from an accredited institution and have the ability to obtain tenure status at Ferris brining a distinguished academic background to the university. They must have the ability to develop a shared academic vision through a collaborative process.
Ferris University, located in Big Rapids, Michigan, is a public institution known for its strong focus on career-oriented education and hands-on learning. Founded in 1884 by Woodbridge N. Ferris, who later became the governor of Michigan and a U.S. senator, the university began as the Big Rapids Industrial School with a mission to provide practical education for all. Today, Ferris State University offers over 190 academic programs, including associate, bachelor’s, and master’s degrees, as well as doctoral programs in fields such as pharmacy, optometry, and education.
Harris Search Associates, an IIC Partners member firm, is a global higher education executive search and board advisory consulting firm with 44 offices in 33 countries worldwide. The firm’s higher education executive search practice is focused on identifying and attracting leaders to support the growth of clients in the areas of research, science, engineering, academic medicine, and healthcare enterprises. Clients include leading universities, research parks, institutes, academic medical centers, and healthcare organizations driving global innovation and discovery. Founded in 1997, Harris Search Associates was modeled after the first premier management consulting firms, in addition to its Ohio headquarters, the firm has regional offices in San Francisco and Dallas.
Jeffrey Harris is the founder of the firm and leads the higher education, academic medicine, and healthcare administration practices. Prior to establishing the firm in 1997, Mr. Harris worked five years for a leading retained executive search firm where he concentrated on senior assignments on behalf of leading engineering, research, and health sciences clients. He is the global leader of the IIC Partners higher education/academic medicine practice, and from 2010 to 2013, was appointed to the board of IIC Partners as vice chair for the Americas.
Related: Harris Search Associates Recruits CIO for Northwest State Community College
Mr. Christ is an executive search professional and human resources consultant with more than 20 years of experience in non-profit and for-profit industries, including higher education, healthcare/life sciences, engineering and consulting, industrial/manufacturing, and financial services. His executive search experience includes research and recruitment from the C-level executive to the specialized technical level.
Inaugural Director Search
Following a national search that included a highly competitive candidate pool, Harris Search Associates recently placed Alicia Allen as the inaugural director of the National Center for Opioid Research and Clinical Efficacy (NCOR) at the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute and Associate Professor, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).
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Dr. Allen previously served at the University of Arizona and is a behavioral epidemiologist with extensive expertise in opioid use disorder, particularly in women’s health and substance misuse during the perinatal period. As the founder and director of the Recovery through Engaging and Empowering Women (RENEW) Research Team at the University of Arizona, her work integrated epidemiological and clinical trial methods to understand and address addiction in women of reproductive age.
Dr. Allen recently received the New Innovator (DP2) Award from the National Institutes of Health for her work exploring the role of hormones and infant caregiving activities on opioid misuse during the early postpartum period.
Related: Harris Search Associates Assists Simmons University with Search for New Dean
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
