As Provost and Executive Vice President, Edward Feser is the chief academic and operating officer of Oregon State University, charged with overseeing progress on the University’s strategic goals in education, scholarship, engagement, internationalization, and institutional reputation. In partnership with Vice President for Finance and Administration Mike Green, Provost Feser ensures that the financial resources and administrative and physical infrastructure of OSU are closely aligned with its mission as a leading land grant research university with a focus on inclusive excellence and the deep integration of research, teaching, and engagement. OSU’s aspirations and goals are articulated in the University’s strategic plan SP4.0-Transformation, Excellence and Impact.

As the largest research university in Oregon, research stations and extension offices in all 36 counties of the state, a growing international student body and faculty, a leading online education program, a growing branch campus in central Oregon, and a new model for interdisciplinary education and research in the Marine Studies Initiative, the faculty, staff, and students of Oregon State University strive to bring the latest knowledge and innovation to solving problems and improving communities nearby and around the world. At OSU, cutting edge research, student accomplishment, and active public engagement go hand-in-hand.

Provost Feser is a Professor of Public Policy in the College of Liberal Arts, with expertise in regional economic development, innovation, and technology policy. Prior to joining OSU, he held faculty and leadership roles at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was a Fulbright Senior Specialist at the Vienna University of Economics and Business in Austria and has served in state government as Assistant Secretary for Policy, Research, and Strategic Planning in the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

Son of a National Park ranger, Provost Feser grew up in the Pacific Northwest in Glacier, Olympic, and Lassen national parks; attended high school in Red Bluff, California; and graduated summa cum laude from the University of San Francisco with a BA in government. He holds PhD and master’s degrees in city and regional planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.