List of CMU Provosts
A historical list of Provosts at Central Michigan University.
| NAME | YEAR | Ph.D. | PREVIOUS POSITION | NOTES |
| Charles J. Ping | 1969 - 1975 | Duke University | Vice President and Dean of Faculty at Tusculum (Tenn.) College | Left to be President at Ohio University |
| Neil Bucklew (Interim) | 1976 | University of Wisconsin | Vice President for Administration at CMU | Left to be Provost at Ohio University |
| John E. Cantelon | 1976 (May) - 1985 | Oxford University | Vice President of Undergraduate Studies at University of Southern California | Retired |
| Janice M. Reynolds | 1986 - 1988 (June) | Ohio State University | Vice Provost for Academic Administration at CMU | Served as Acting Provost; Left to become Chancellor for Academic Affairs at University of Alaska - Fairbanks |
| Nancy Belck (Interim) | 1988 - 1989 (May) | Michigan State University | Dean of the School of Education, Health, and Human Services at CMU | Returned to position as Dean of School of Education, Health, and Human Services |
| Robert Franke | 1989 - 1994 (April) | University of Texas | Director of Donaghey Scholars Program at the University of Arkansas, Little Rock | Resigned to return to teaching |
| Richard W. Davenport | 1994 - 2002 (April) | Iowa State University | Interim Dean of College of Extended Learning (now Global Campus) and Vice Provost at CMU | Named Interim Provost in April 1994; appointed July 1995; Resigned to become president of Minnesota State University - Mankato |
| Robert E. Kohrman | 2002 - 2003 | Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Dean of College of Science and Technology at CMU | Returned to position as Dean of College of Science and Technology |
| Thomas A. Storch | 2003 - 2006 | University of Michigan | Dean of College of Arts and Sciences at University of Montana | Retired in January 2007 |
| E. Gary Shapiro (Interim) | 2007 | University of Michigan | Dean of College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Sciences at CMU | Returned to being Dean of CHSBS at CMU |
| Julia E. Wallace | 2008 - 2009 (May) | State University of New York at Binghamton | Dean of College of Social and Behavioral Science at University of Northern Iowa | Left to be Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs at UW-Green Bay |
| E. Gary Shapiro | 2009 - 2013 (July) | University of Michigan | Dean of College of Humanities and Social and Behavioral Science at CMU | Interim Provost from July 2009 to August 2010 and then appointed Provost; Resigned to return to teaching |
| Michael A. Gealt | 2013 - 2019 (June) | Rutgers University | Dean of College of Science and Mathematics at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock | Retired |
| Mary C. Schutten | 2019 - 2021 | Indiana University | Dean of College of Health and Human Services at San José State University | Resigned to return to teaching |
| Richard Rothaus (interim) | 2022 (January - July) | Ohio State University | Dean of College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at CMU | Returned to position as Dean of College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences at CMU |
| Nancy Mathews | 2022 - 2024 (September) | State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry | Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources at the University of Vermont | Resigned |
| Paula Lancaster | 2024 - Present | University of Kansas | Dean of College of Education and Human Services at CMU | Appointed Interim Provost September 2024; Appointed Provost February 2025 |
Updated July 2026