A return to Ohio: Trent Gould named Miami University’s new provost

Miami University’s nationwide search for a new provost has come to an end. Trent Gould, current professor and dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM), will join the Miami community as provost and executive vice president for academic affairs on July 1.

The University Senate and Associated Student Government (ASG) released the initial advertisement for the provost opening fall of 2025 and began conducting preliminary interviews the following months. The four finalists were announced in early February and brought to campus later that month. From there, President Crawford made his decision on which of the finalists would be selected as the next provost.

Zeb Baker, dean of the Honors College, said this decision was largely based on the candidates’ interviews, their interactions with campus partners and the feedback they received from the faculty they met on campus.

“We wanted someone who could come in and hit the ground running,” Baker said. “We were looking for a good leader, someone who could effectively manage the academic enterprise.”

This administrative position comes with a diverse range of responsibilities. Every dean, department chair and program administrator reports directly to the provost.

“Trent Gould was ultimately selected because he brought a lot of experience to the table in terms of change management,” Baker said. “We were all really taken with … his ideas about how you manage change and … the kinds of evolutions that have to take place running an academic enterprise like academic affairs.”

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Kirsten Osteboe, vice president of the student body, said her biggest goal when joining the committee was ensuring the provost really cared about the students on campus.

“We wanted someone that could navigate all the changes that are coming to Miami … while also acknowledging and advocating for the student perspective in education and also outside of the academic classroom,” Osteboe said.

Gould began his academic career at Bowling Green State University where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Education in 1998. From there, Gould attended Ohio University where he earned both a Master of Science in Physical Education and a Doctor of Philosophy. His administrative career started at USM as director of the Athletic Training Education Program and assistant professor.

“My initial job will be to get out of the office and establish authentic, personal relationships,” Gould said. “When I have to make decisions in the future or grow our academics in a certain area, I want people on campus to have a basic understanding of who I am and have a basic level of trust in me.”

The liberal arts approach, The Miami Plan and MiamiTHRIVE, the university’s strategic planning initiative, were among the many aspects of Miami that drew Gould to this position.

“We don’t want to change any of these things,” Gould said. “In fact, we want to figure out how to preserve our academic distinction and focus on student success in general.”

Outside of the academic realm, Gould said making a return to Ohio has its benefits for his whole family. Gould met his wife, Kristy, as an undergraduate at Bowling Green. Known as “Falcon Flames,” Gould compares this heritage to the longstanding Miami Merger tradition.

“I already know about the Ohio culture,” Gould said. “My wife and I are very excited to come back to Ohio … this is kind of like a return home.”

Gould was also attracted to Miami because of his wife’s familial ties to the campus. Kristy Gould’s grandparents, John Sheldon and Elvera Koski, graduated from Miami (1941) and Western College for Women (1942), respectively. Her father, David Sheldon, played third base for the baseball team and graduated from Miami in 1967, while her brother, John Sheldon, graduated from the Farmer School of Business in 2000.

Gould has spent 18 out of his 23 years at USM as an administrator. From his experience with managing change and execution as a dean, Gould thinks these skills will translate well to leadership at Miami.

“The moments that have made me the happiest are when I can create and grow something that makes a real difference," Gould said. "I know the job will be hard, but I want to really do something that makes a high impact on campus."

terlessk@miamioh.edu