Antioch University Seattle Welcomes Benjamin Pryor, PhD, as Provost and Chief Operating Officer
Seattle, WA – On Monday, December 7, Antioch University Seattle (AUS) welcomed Dr. Benjamin Pryor to his new role as provost and chief operating officer. Along with extensive accomplishments in higher education, community engagement and academic innovation, Dr. Pryor brings with him a long history of choices and interests shaped by the same principles that structure the mission and values of Antioch University.
In his new role, Dr. Pryor will lead and manage all educational programs, faculty and staff hiring and development, and campus accreditation processes. Working closely with AUS President Dr. Dan Hocoy and the presidents at Antioch University’s other campuses, Dr. Pryor will also contribute to the development of university-wide academic initiatives with chief academic officers in Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, New England, Midwest, and with AU Connected.
Joining AUS most recently from Western International University in Phoenix, where he served as provost and senior vice president, Dr. Pryor has served as vice provost of academic program development at the University of Toledo, as well as several other high-level positions in both administrative and faculty settings within academia.
Among his many professional accomplishments, Dr. Pryor has chaired academic departments, led several renovation and innovation projects to benefit students, and played a key role in faculty development. He also has extensive experience with online learning initiatives. He is adept at academic affairs, curriculum development, and institution effectiveness and accreditation needs.
Dr. Pryor earned his PhD in philosophy from Pennsylvania State University, attended Vanderbilt University’s Doctoral program, and received his master’s in philosophy from The Claremont Graduate School. He received his bachelor’s degree from University of Redlands, Johnston Center for Individualized Studies with an emphasis in English and philosophy.
An “excellent fit for our community,” according to Dr. Hocoy, Dr. Pryor’s specialties center on social and political philosophy, with his areas of concentration focused in the philosophy of law and legal studies, aesthetics, and modern philosophy. He co-founded a publication serving the Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities at Vanderbilt, has presented extensive research on topics ranging from innovation trends in higher education to free speech issues, and is a founding member of The Glacity Theatre Collective, where he advises and participates in many artistic pursuits.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Pryor to AUS, and share our excitement in the promise his perspective and enthusiasm brings to our campus and community.