Provost René L. Vellanoweth

Before joining Northern in June 2025 as the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, René L. Vellanoweth, Ph.D., served as Dean of the College of Natural and Social Sciences at California State University, Los Angeles, where he provided leadership for nearly 5,000 undergraduate students, over 400 graduate students, and a robust faculty team comprising 126 tenure-line faculty and 214 lecturers. Under his leadership, the college secured nearly $17 million in external grants, built an endowment exceeding $7.5 million, and raised more than $5 million in philanthropic support.

He spearheaded the creation of Cal State LA's Urban Ecology Center, a multidisciplinary initiative to enhance community engagement and environmental research. His leadership resulted in strategic hiring that strengthened the college's academic and operational capacity, including recruiting 26 tenure-track faculty, two associate deans, and essential professional staff.

As a scholar, René has an extensive background in coastal and island archaeology, with active research projects spanning the California Channel Islands, Santa Monica Mountains, Baja California, México, and Ireland. His work has contributed to understanding historical ecology and human-environment dynamics, while expanding student research opportunities.

René earned his bachelor's degree in Anthropology from UCLA and his master's degree from Cal State LA, before completing his Ph.D. in Anthropology with an emphasis in Archaeology at the University of Oregon. Prior to joining Cal State LA in 2008, he held academic and administrative positions at Humboldt State University.

René’s leadership extends beyond campus boundaries through active participation with several educational and research groups. He has served as a Commissioner for the California State Historical Resources Commission since 2018, and has contributed to the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Research Group and the Graduation Initiative 2025 Consultative Group.

Office of the Provost

The Office of the Provost is responsible for all aspects of the academic mission, including instruction, student services, and educational and student services personnel.

The Provost collaborates with its associated units to provide an exceptional educational experience through high-quality academic programs that serve our diverse students, faculty, staff, and community. We also support and facilitate the development of the college's academic programs in instruction, scholarly activities, and service. Finally, we strive to create a campus community that welcomes free speech and a diversity of viewpoints, backgrounds, and experiences.

The Office of the Provost provides leadership in the management, evaluation, and continuous improvement of a wide range of academic programs that exist under the 1) School of Liberal Arts, Business, and Education that is formed by the Department of Arts and Human Sciences, Department of Business Administration, Department of Language and Letters, and Department of Teacher Education; 2) School of Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Health Sciences that is formed by the Department of Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences; Department of Engineering and Technology; Department of Math and Physical Science; and the Department of Nursing and Health Sciences; 3) Technical Trades Division under the Branch Community College.

Similarly, the Office of the Provost oversees some units that support the academic mission, including Accelerating Achievement in STEM (STEM XL - Title III); Connecting Academies with Student Success and Achievement (CASSA - Title V); Continuing Education, Distance Education; Fast-to-Finish (Title V), Institutional Assessment and Accreditation; Institutional Research; Grants and Sponsored Programs, Library, and the Registrar.

To provide a holistic approach to student success, the Office of the Provost oversees the Dean of Students, who is responsible for all student complaints, student conduct, student investigations, Title IX compliance; and the three Team Leaders 1) Enrollment Team: Admissions/Recruitment/Dual Credit, American Indian Student Center; 2) Grants Team: Adult Education Program, College Assistance Migrant Program, Educational Opportunity Center, High School Equivalency Program, and Upward Bound Program; 3) Student Services Team: Accessibility Services, Financial Aid, Student Success/Advisement Center, and Veterans’ Resource Center.

Through these services, the Office of the Provost is ultimately dedicated to attracting, retaining, and graduating students from diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds, providing them with a great learning experience through academic programs and generating graduates prepared to contribute to the economic development, cultural enrichment, and quality of life of the region.  It is the mission of the Office of the Provost to drive innovation and quality and to ensure that Northern continues to meet the regional educational challenges.