Wiley University has announced the appointment of Dr. Morris Thomas as its next Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. He will also serve as Professor of Higher Education Administration. Dr. Thomas will officially begin his tenure on August 1, 2025.
A nationally respected scholar and strategic academic leader, Dr. Thomas joins Wiley from Howard University, where he served as the inaugural Assistant Provost for Digital and Online Learning and Director of the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Assessment. He also held a faculty appointment in the School of Education and lectured in the School of Business.
Dr. Thomas brings extensive academic, administrative, and instructional experience to Wiley’s leadership team. He holds a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from Morgan State University, an Executive MBA from Howard University, and additional graduate degrees in education, instructional technology, and music. His innovative leadership has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Chief Executive Leadership Award at Howard University.
Internationally known for his research on digital learning and pedagogy, Dr. Thomas is the creator of the ENHANCE Learning Model and the WHOLE Experience Framework. His course, Project Management Essentials, currently boasts more than 55,000 learners on Coursera and was ranked the #1 university-created course globally in Class Central’s 2024 Top 100 list.
His selection follows a national search led by Wiley President & CEO Dr. Herman J. Felton, Jr., who described the appointment as critical to the institution’s “bold and audacious vision” for academic transformation.
“I am incredibly honored to serve as the chief academic officer at Wiley University,” said Dr. Thomas. “This institution reflects the ideals I care deeply about and offers a powerful platform to help shape the future of Black higher education.”