Paul A. BlakeRetired, Ferris State University
During his tenure as Provost, Dr. Blake helped to lead initiatives that saw growth in a number of areas. Those areas included that grant-funded faculty research, initiatives in pedagogical innovation, interdisciplinary and inter-professional education initiatives and research, partnerships in community literacy, community health initiatives and ongoing grant-funded work on a rural health center partnership, corporate and professional development, university-wide assessment initiatives, significant dual and concurrent enrollment growth, and General Education revision and redesign. He helped to implement the university Academic Literacy Center to help identify, diagnose, and improve academic content literacy barriers for undergraduate, graduate, and professional program students. He also helped create community development initiatives, worked with university and program accreditation, and organized the first campus-wide Innovation Fair to celebrate both individual and collaborative efforts by faculty and staff in innovative curriculum design, pedagogy, research, assessment, retention, and classroom climate initiatives. Areas of Expertise: Content literacy and pedagogy, community literacy, interdisciplinary / inter-professional curriculum and pedagogy innovation and initiatives, dual and concurrent enrollment, and assessment. |
Paul Blake served as Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs from 2014-2020. He holds a PhD in English from Michigan State University and a Bachelor and Master degree from Michigan State and Ball State University respectively. Prior to becoming Provost, Dr. Blake served Ferris State as Associate Provost of Academic Operations from 2010-2014, Associate Dean of the College of Education and Human Services from 2005-2010, Director of English Education from 2000-2007, and Professor of English from 1989-2005. His career at Ferris State University spanned 32 years. Dr. Blake began his career teaching high school English. He also coached football at the high school level and then at Ball State University.