Welcome to the home page for the Division of Academic Affairs at Kent State University.

I am honored to serve as the provost of our vibrant Kent State University. My roots at Kent State are deep. I began my professorship here 31 years ago and through the years have only deepened my commitment to the success of our students, support of our faculty, and engagement of our staff.

As provost, I oversee all academic programs across our 11 colleges and eight campuses. Kent State University is one of 91 public doctoral universities with high research activity, as categorized by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. Kent State is the highest-ranking public university in Northern Ohio on the Top Public Schools and Best National Universities lists by U.S. News & World Report. With eight campuses spanning Northeast Ohio, a College of Podiatric Medicine, a Twinsburg Academic Center and academic sites in major world cities, such as New York City, Geneva and Florence, Kent State is one of Ohio’s leading public universities and a major educational, economic and cultural resource far beyond the Northeast Ohio region it has served since 1910. The student body comprises more than 33,000 students, including more than 1,300 international students from  100+ countries, and the worldwide alumni family exceeds 262,000+. The addition of new learning environments from the sciences to the arts and the development of exciting new academic programs characterize Kent State’s focus on transformational educational experiences. 

Thank you for your interest in Kent State University. We are proud of our university and encourage you to visit campus to see for yourself all of the opportunities our community offers.

Melody Tankersley, Ph.D.
Senior Vice President and Provost 

Curriculum Vita (PDF)