Gregor Thuswaldner

Dr. Gregor Thuswaldner is provost and dean of the faculty at La Roche University in Pittsburgh, where he has also served as interim vice president for enrollment management. Before joining La Roche, he was provost and executive vice president at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington. His most recent and ninth book is the edited volume The Chief Academic Officer’s Handbook: A Provost’s Guide to Visionary Leadership (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2025). As past president of the Association of Chief Academic Officers (ACAO) and a current board member, he hosts ACAO’s podcast, EdUp Provost, in partnership with the EdUp Experience.Dr. Thuswaldner’s career reflects a sustained commitment to student success, innovation, academic excellence, organizational transformation, and the cultivation of inclusive learning environments. Prior to his tenure at Whitworth, he served as acting provost, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, and professor of humanities at North Park University in Chicago (2016–2020). Earlier in his career, he was chair of the Department of Languages and Linguistics and professor of German and linguistics at Gordon College (2003–2016).He brings extensive experience in governance and leadership and currently serves on the boards of the American Association of University Administrators (AAUA) and the Association of Chief Academic Officers (ACAO). He has chaired accreditation site visits for the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) and served as a peer reviewer for the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). His leadership roles also include serving as chair of the board of directors of the Associated Colleges of the Chicago Area (ACCA), president of the Austrian Studies Association (ASA), and board member of ACAD, the Conference on Christianity and Literature, as well as a task force member of the Council of Independent Colleges Chief Academic Officer’s Institute.Dr. Thuswaldner is an elected member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts and a fellow of the Royal Historical Society, the Royal Society of Arts, and the Society of Leadership Fellows at St. George’s House, Windsor Castle. He is also an elected member of PEN America and PEN Austria and serves on the advisory board of the Stefan Zweig Centre at the University of Salzburg, Austria. He holds a Ph.D. in German literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master’s degree in German and English studies from the University of Vienna, and a master’s degree in higher education administration from North Park University in Chicago.