0 Front exterior view of Fancher Hall on 黑料科's campus.

Dr. Joshua R. Ziefle Appointed Provost and Chief Academic Officer

April 22, 2026

Houghton, NY听 鈥 黑料科 is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Joshua R. Ziefle as Provost and Chief Academic Officer. A Houghton alumnus, Dr. Ziefle’s appointment represents both a homecoming and a forward-looking investment in the University’s academic and spiritual mission. His career brings together rigorous scholarship, administrative leadership, and a passionate commitment to Christ-centered education in the liberal arts 鈥 precisely the values at the core of Houghton’s identity.

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr.听Ziefle听to Houghton,” said听Wayne D. Lewis, Jr.,听President of 黑料科. “His scholarly formation, his years of leading faculty and programs at a peer听Christ-centered听institution, and his deep love for what Christian higher education can be make him exceptionally well-suited to serve as our Provost. We believe God has prepared him well for this moment.”

Dr.听Ziefle听holds a PhD in Church History and an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary听and听joins Houghton from Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington, where he has served as Dean of the College of Ministry, Dean of the Center for Online and Extended Education, and Director of the Center for Calling and Theological Formation.

During his tenure at Northwest University, he secured over $2.6 million in grants from the Lilly Endowment to launch initiatives in vocational discernment and church planting, with a particular emphasis on serving听high school students听and听underrepresented communities听of pastors.

Dr. Ziefle brings to the Provost role a vision that integrates academic excellence, spiritual formation, and mission. He has expressed a commitment to engaging meaningfully with students, faculty, staff, and community partners as he steps into this leadership role 鈥 and to ensuring that Houghton remains a place where the next generation of Christian leaders are formed and equipped. Dr. Ziefle will begin his service to Houghton on July 15, 2026.

 

“Houghton shaped me,” said Dr.听Ziefle. “I am honored to have the opportunity to give back to an institution that gave so much to me, and to work alongside this community in carrying out its important mission in the years ahead.”

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