The New Provost at Fort Valley State University in Georgia

Fort Valley State University in Georgia announced the appointment of Olufunke Fontenot as provost and vice president of academic affairs. Dr. Fontenot has been with the university since 2019, serving first as interim chief of staff and more recently as interim provost.

Fort Valley State University enrolls about 2,800 undergraduate students and nearly 300 graduate students according to the most recent data supplied by the U.S. Department of Education. Women make up 62 percent of the undergraduate student body.

“It is a distinct honor and privilege to be appointed to the position of provost. FVSU has been my professional home for over two years; I have had the opportunity to work with a dedicated and mission-focused group of faculty, staff, and senior administrators in the service of our students and our community,” said Dr. Fontenot.  “I am delighted to continue to serve FVSU in this vital role on a permanent basis. There is great work to be done in our continuing march for excellence.”

Before coming to Fort Valley State University, Dr. Fontenot served as the interim regional vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of South Florida – St. Petersburg. Dr. Fontenot also served as associate provost and associate vice president for academic affairs, and interim provost and vice president for academic affairs at Albany State University in Georgia.

Dr. Fontenot received a bachelor’s degree in law from what is now Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria. She earned master’s degrees in law from the University of Cambridge in England and Yale Law School and a doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania.