Jon P Gant
Dr. Jon P. Gant serves as Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Interim Dean of the School of Library and Information Sciences (SLIS) at North Carolina Central University, where he is also a tenured professor. In his dual leadership roles, he supports faculty success across the university while providing strategic direction for SLIS academic programs, faculty and staff, student success initiatives, and external partnerships. He previously served as dean of the school from 2016 to 2023.
Dr. Gant is establishing NCCU’s inaugural Office for Faculty Affairs as a partner to faculty, leaders, and the offices of the Provost, Human Resources, and Legal Affairs. The office supports faculty throughout their careers, from recruitment and mentoring to promotion, recognition, and retirement. His vision emphasizes shared governance, policies, leadership development for deans and chairs, and modernized promotion and tenure processes. He is advancing data and digital tools to strengthen decisions and faculty support. This work aligns with NCCU’s Vision 2030, research aspirations, and commitment to student success.
A nationally recognized scholar, Dr. Gant studies how universities use digital technology, cyberinfrastructure, and partnerships to expand research and serve the public. At the University of Illinois, he helped develop UC2B, a university-led public-private partnership that built a municipal broadband network to support internet access, research, education, and innovation. He now serves as a co-principal investigator of NCShare, helping faculty and students use shared cyberinfrastructure for research and teaching, including applications of artificial intelligence. He has led research for the NIH’s Nutrition for Precision Health initiative and, during an assignment to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, worked to expand broadband access and digital opportunities at colleges and universities nationwide.
Dr. Gant earned his M.S. and Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University and his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan.