Tennessee Tech University announced that Zhanjiang (John) Liu, vice president for research and professor of biology at Tech since fall 2023, will assume the role of interim provost and vice president for academic affairs effective July 1.
The transition comes as Provost Lori Mann Bruce prepares to step away from her duties for a new role with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Liu brings to the role three decades of experience in higher education, including previous positions as interim vice chancellor and provost at Syracuse University and as associate provost at Auburn University. He began his career as a graduate research and teaching assistant at the University of Minnesota, where he earned a master’s degree in plant pathology and a doctorate in cell and developmental biology.
Since being unanimously confirmed as vice president for research by Tech’s Board of Trustees in 2023, Liu has helped lead the university to a record-setting $46 million research haul in fiscal year 2024 and expects to exceed that total this year.
“Dr. Liu is someone Golden Eagles already know and trust. He is undoubtedly the right person not just to provide stability during this transition period, but to continue building on Tech’s gains and ensure the university excels across all academic disciplines,” said Tech President Phil Oldham. “From his previous duties as interim provost at Syracuse University and associate provost at Auburn University, to the ways he has taken Tech’s research portfolio to new heights, he is prepared to ensure a seamless leadership transition while empowering faculty to do their best work.”
Liu was inducted into the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Hall of Fame in 2022. He is an elected fellow in the World Aquaculture Society, an elected fellow in the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a recipient of Syracuse University’s Chancellor’s Medal for Outstanding Leadership and a recipient of the University of Minnesota’s Outstanding Achievement Award, among other recognitions.
“I am humbled and honored for the opportunity to serve Tennessee Tech in this way,” said Liu. “From our newest assistant professors to our longest-serving deans, we have outstanding faculty, and I look forward to supporting them, working collaboratively alongside them and listening to them as we all strive to put students first.”
Liu’s appointment comes on the heels of the Tennessee Higher Education Commission’s publishing of its 2025 Fact Book, which provides a detailed picture of Tech’s academic rigor and success. The report shows that Tech possesses the highest freshman retention rate, highest four-year graduation rate, highest early post-college salary levels and highest incoming student ACT scores of all Locally Governed Institutions (LGIs) in the state.
The university will undertake a national search for its next provost. A timeline for a permanent successor has not been announced.
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