Dr. Brad Thiessen has been named provost and vice president for academic affairs at Florida Polytechnic University.
Dr. Brad Thiessen has been named provost and vice president of academic affairs of Florida Polytechnic University, where he will serve as the institution’s chief academic officer, guiding the quality, integrity and advancement of its academic mission.
“I am honored to serve Florida Poly at such a pivotal time for our University,” Thiessen said. “As we grow our enrollment, expand our academic offerings, and challenge the traditional models of higher education, I see tremendous opportunity to work with our talented faculty to shape a future where students are not only prepared for the world ahead – they’re leading it.”
Thiessen served in the role on an interim basis since July 2024.
“Throughout his time as interim provost, Dr. Thiessen has demonstrated exceptional leadership, a deep understanding of our academic mission, and a strong commitment to student success,” said Dr. Devin Stephenson, Florida Poly president. “His continued service in this role ensures momentum and stability as we pursue ambitious goals for academic growth and excellence.”
Among his priorities are thoughtfully expanding the academic offerings at the state’s STEM university, retaining and recruiting additional world-class faculty, improving student success, and expanding the University’s research and intellectual property footprint.
Prior to joining Florida Poly, Thiessen spent eight years at New College of Florida, where he held a range of leadership and academic roles, including vice provost, interim president, interim provost, interim vice president for student affairs, chief of staff, director of institutional performance assessment, institutional accreditation liaison, and professor of statistics.
In addition, he served for a decade as chair and professor of mathematics and statistics at St. Ambrose University in Iowa. He also held the roles of director of institutional research at the University of Hawaii, and director of institutional research, assessment, and strategic planning, as well as associate professor of education at Touro University in California.
Thiessen holds a Ph.D. and master’s degree in measurement and statistics from the University of Iowa, and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and secondary education from St. Ambrose University.
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Lydia Guzmán
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