Provost's Office

About the Provost

Drew Kerkhoff serves as the Provost at the University of Puget Sound, where he leverages his extensive background in academic leadership to enhance our institution's liberal arts education. Prior to joining Puget Sound, Kerkhoff was a faculty member teaching ecology and quantitative biology at Kenyon College for nearly two decades, where he held various leadership roles including associate provost. His tenure at Kenyon was marked by significant achievements, such as integrating computational and data science approaches into the biology curriculum, developing interdisciplinary programs in science and nature writing, and steering initiatives towards carbon neutrality by 2040.

Provost Kerkhoff's academic journey began with a B.A. in English from Rutgers University, followed by a transition into biology with a master's degree and Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico. His research, supported by the National Science Foundation, focuses on the ecology and evolution of plant biodiversity and the global carbon cycle, and has resulted in over 40 peer-reviewed publications. At Puget Sound, Provost Kerkhoff is dedicated to fostering an intellectually vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable campus community, deeply engaged with the diverse human histories and natural environments of the Pacific Northwest.

Drew Kerkhoff, Ph.D.
Provost
provost@pugetsound.edu

Janis Chen
Executive Assistant to the Provost
janischen@pugetsound.edu
Point of contact regarding: Provost’s scheduling, faculty contracts, Office of the Provost administrative support