Blake Alan Naughton, Ph.D.

Blake Alan Naughton, Ph.D., serves as Vice Provost – Academic Affairs, Teaching, and Learning for Online Initiatives at the University of Arizona, where he leads the academic affairs team and faculty within the University of Arizona Global Campus across the areas of faculty affairs, academic programming, innovation, and operations. In this role, he helps to ensure student success through excellence in online programs.

Dr. Naughton has over 25 years of teaching, research, and leadership experience in education, government, and non-profit sectors, with a focus on expanding educational opportunities and engaged scholarship. Prior to Arizona, he served as Vice President for Engagement and Extension at Colorado State University (CSU), where he led both CSU Extension and the CSU Extended Campus, providing lifelong learning programs and degrees through statewide campuses and CSU Online. At CSU he also served as Professor of Human Development and Extension Specialist in Workforce Development. He also served in executive roles at the University of Missouri, where he was on faculty in the College of Education, most recently as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Extension and Engagement.

Dr. Naughton’s scholarship and teaching have focused on work-based learning as a catalyst for individual growth and organizational performance. He formerly served on the faculty and directed professional degree programs at the University of Pennsylvania and Northwest Missouri State University, and also worked in student affairs at Truman State University. He has taught in a breadth of higher education institutions, from a public community college to private research universities, in courses such as management, policy, education, and technical subjects, from non-credit to doctoral levels. Outside of academia, he has worked in higher education and workforce policy as a research associate or policy analyst at the Missouri Department of Higher Education, the National Center for Higher Education and Public Policy, and the Congressional Research Service.

Dr. Naughton holds a bachelor’s degree in science and technology policy from the Stanford University School of Engineering; a master’s degree in education administration, planning and social policy from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education; and a Ph.D. in education administration and policy analysis from Stanford’s School of Education.