Office of the Provost

Dr. John Liu

Zhanjiang (John) Liu
Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
johnliu@tntech.edu, (931) 372-3224

As Interim Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Liu is responsible for providing leadership and academic oversight of more than 800 employees in eight colleges and schools, 32 academic departments, and 20+ support units – all of which offer Tennessee Tech students more than 200 programs at the bachelors, masters, and doctoral levels. The Provost is responsible for overseeing 28 academic buildings with more than 1 million square feet of instruction and research spaces. As Interim Provost, Dr. Liu is focused on fostering academic excellence, student success, meaningful innovation, community engagement, a supportive environment, and value creation. Dr. Liu is a Professor of Biology specializing in molecular biology, focused on the area of aquaculture genomics and bioinformatics.

Dr. Sharon Huo

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Dr. Sharon Huo

Associate Provost
xhuo@tntech.edu, 931-372-3463

Dr. Huo assists the Provost in a variety of academic activities. She serves as the university’s SACSCOC Liaison and oversees accreditation and assessment activities at the university. Additionally, she coordinates the undergraduate academic program initiatives and modifications. As an Associate Provost, Dr. Huo is responsible for overseeing activities mandated through THEC’s Quality Assurance Funding program, including academic program reviews and student learning and engagement assessments. She supervises the Office of Institutional Assessment, Research, and Effectiveness, QEP program, Undergraduate Research (URECA), and Women’s Center. Dr. Huo is a Professor of Civil Engineering with specialties in structural engineering and a licensed Professional Engineer.

Bedelia Russell Photo

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Dr. Bedelia Russell

Associate Provost
bhrussell@tntech.edu, 931-372-3224

Dr. Russell supports the Provost and Academic Affairs in the areas of online education and faculty development strategic initiatives. As Associate Provost, she works with all faculty, and across all colleges and other faculty and student support areas, to facilitate online education expansion and continuous improvement. In addition, she has responsibilities for new faculty onboarding and orientation, tenure and promotion, and professional development/career support for faculty through oversight of the Center for Advancing Faculty Excellence (CAFÉ). The Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CITL) and TNeCampus units are direct reports to her. Dr. Russell hold degrees from Tennessee Tech University (BSN), Vanderbilt University (MSN), and East Tennessee State University (PhD). She is a Professor of Nursing and is a licensed Registered Nurse and Advanced Practice Nurse, with national certifications as a Certified Nurse Educator (CNE) and Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in Primary Care (PNP-PC).

Photo of Julie Baker

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Dr. Julie Baker

Associate Provost
jcbaker@tntech.edu, 931-372-3224

Julie C. Baker currently serves as an Associate Provost in Academic Affairs. She provides support in the areas of academic space and course scheduling, serves as a liaison between Academic Affairs and ITS, facilitates processes of academic integrity, and works alongside the other provosts on tenure and promotion. She oversees the Honors Program, the Center for Global Experiences, and serves as the Dean of Graduate Studies. Dr. Baker began teaching at Tennessee Tech in 2006 and is a Professor in the College of Education & Human Sciences. In addition to various faculty roles, she formerly served as associate dean in the College of Education & Human Sciences and as a high school English teacher. She holds three degrees from Tennessee Tech: Exceptional Learning – Literacy (PhD), Instructional Leadership (MA), and Secondary Education – English (BS).

Angie Denson