Dr. Melody Tankersley is the Senior Vice President and Provost at Kent State University. Having served previously as the Dean for Graduate Studies, Dr. Tankersley also holds an appointment as a Professor in the College of Education, Health, and Human Services. Her academic expertise is in the social and behavioral development of children and youth, with her research focusing on supporting parents and teachers in responding to the emotional needs of their children and students. Dr. Tankersley has secured over $2 million of funding and published over 100 books, chapters, and articles on her areas of focus. Her work has been recognized internationally—most recently she was awarded the James M. Kauffman Publication Award for a scholarly work that results in knowledge leading to exemplary practice.
Dr. Tankersley earned her doctoral degree from the University of Virginia and was appointed a post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Kansas. Since then, she has been a faculty member and administrator at Kent State University.
In her current role as the Senior Vice President and Provost, Dr. Tankersley promotes and maintains a distinctive academic vision, leading the intellectual community on the campuses. She is the university’s chief academic officer and is responsible for the creation and implementation of the academic priorities for the university and for the allocation of resources that will support those priorities. She oversees all academic programs across the 10 colleges, one independent school, and eight campuses that make up Kent State. Kent State University is one of the largest public multi-campus systems in the U.S., with a population of more than 38,000 students. Kent State is one of 76 public higher-research universities, as categorized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and is ranked in the first-tier list of Best National Universities by U.S. News & World Report.