President C. Edward Balog recently announced the appointment of history department chair Chad Gunnoe as the College’s next provost, concluding a lengthy search and interview process that began in early October.

“As I mentioned at both the Faculty and Staff Assemblies,” said President Balog in a statement posted online, “I was searching for as broad a consensus as possible and I think that we have achieved that consensus. I believe that Chad is qualified, knows the College, and has significant support amongst the faculty, staff and students, as well as the unanimous support of the Cabinet.”

Gunnoe, who will assume duties as provost and dean of faculty on July 1, said that there is “a dynamism at Aquinas right now,” and that he’s looking forward to interacting with faculty, staff and students.

“Ed [Balog] is a very good administrator and so I’m excited about the opportunity to work with him,” he said. Among his own particular strengths, Gunnoe highlighted his collaborative abilities.

“I interact well with people,” he said. “I think I’m a good collaborator. I’ve done a lot of networking.” Gunnoe is a collaborator and editor of several publications on his foremost academic interest of European history. He is currently working on a book about Thomas Erastus and the Reformation of the Electoral Palatinate, and is also working closely with Assistant Professor John Pinheiro in putting together the new Catholic Studies minor.

Gunnoe, a native of Virginia, earned his bachelor’s degree at the College of William and Mary in 1986, his master’s of arts in theological studies at Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary in 1990, and his doctorate from the University of Virginia in 1998. Although he expresses a certain discomfort at the cold weather, he says he likes Grand Rapids – and, of course, Aquinas College.

“There’s a lot of excitement,” he said of the atmosphere on campus. “Student Life has got some pretty exciting stuff going on, too.”

In addition to Gunnoe’s duties as the leading academic official of the College, as provost he will be responsible for overseeing student activities.

“I know most of the student leaders already,” he said, adding that he looks forward to “continuing to hang with the students.”

As provost, Gunnoe said, he will continue to teach in a limited capacity.

“It’s a little bit of a hybrid position in a sense,” he said. Gunnoe says that he looks forward to furthering the academic development of the College through collaboration. Included among his goals are: “advancing academic excellence”; promoting “student development”; “changing the registration process to be much more user-friendly”; and developing more “faculty-student research opportunities.”

A professor at Aquinas for nine years and department chair for six, Gunnoe has plenty of resources to draw upon.

“I have pretty good connections with some of our neighboring institutions as well,” he said.

The bottom line, however, Gunnoe says, is the people; and while he emphasizes the dual-role of the provost in relation to the faculty and students, he is adamant that he not lose touch with the students.

“I think to be a productive provost I need to maintain that student contact,” he said. “I like everything about the College. I enjoy the intellectual challenge but also love the stimulation of the social life, so to have a job in this capacity is an ideal situation.”