March 15, 2024 GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids Community College has announced three finalists in the search for the college’s next provost/executive vice president for Academic and Student Affairs.
The three candidates will visit campus the week of March 18 and meet with several internal teams throughout the day. Faculty and staff will have the opportunity to hear from each candidate at forums March 19-21.
The provost reports directly to the president and serves as the chief Academic and Student Affairs officer with major responsibilities for strategic planning and guiding all aspects of teaching and learning in support of student success.
Candidate background and visit dates are:
Dr. Sheila Jones – Tuesday, March 19
Dr. Sheila Jones is GRCC’s interim provost/executive vice president for Academic and Student Affairs, facilitating efforts to build an innovative curriculum, effective teaching and learning practices leading to student success, and institutional effectiveness.
Jones has spent over 15 years in community college education and remains committed to creating opportunities and removing barriers for students to achieve their educational goals. She began serving GRCC in 2016 as dean of instructional support and then became associate provost of instructional support and institutional planning in 2022.
Prior to moving to Michigan, Jones was a tenured faculty member at Broward College.
Jones earned her doctoral and master’s degrees in history from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. She holds a bachelor’s in history and business administration from Washington & Jefferson College in Pennsylvania.
Dr. Michael Pullin — Wednesday, March 20
Dr. Michael Pullin is the dean of Academic Initiatives at Queensborough Community College, a campus in the City University of New York (CUNY) system.
His college-wide responsibilities include degree program development and assessment, leadership of academic momentum initiatives, and strategic planning. Additionally, he oversees several programs and centers essential to student success.
Prior to his current position, Pullin served in different educational and research roles at Broward College, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, University of Notre Dame, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Pullin earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Case Western Reserve University and his doctoral and master’s degrees in analytical chemistry from Kent State University.
Dr. Daniel Powell — Thursday, March 21
Dr. Daniel Powell has served nearly five years as the vice president of Academic Success at Northwest Vista College in the Alamo Colleges District in San Antonio. During his time as chief academic officer, the college has been recognized nationally for its high-quality instruction and academic support.
Prior to his current role, Powell served in leadership and academic roles at Laramie County Community College, Patel Conservatory, Chipola College and the Chipola Regional Arts Association.
Powell holds a doctoral degree in music from Florida State University, a master’s in music from Arizona State University, and a bachelor’s in music education from West Texas A&M University. He also completed an MBA at Troy University.
Feedback on the provost search may be directed to provostsearch@grcc.edu.