On April 15, University of Oregon President John Karl Scholz announced Christopher P. Long as the current provost and senior vice president of the University of Oregon.

Long had previously been the Dean of the College of Arts & Letters and the Honors College at Michigan State University, as well as the Associate Dean for Undergraduate & Graduate studies at the Pennsylvania State University.

Long graduated from Wittenberg University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy and political science, before obtaining his master’s degree and PhD from The New School for Social Research. According to his biography on the Michigan State University website, Long was a professor of philosophy at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey from 1999 to 2004.

In 2005, Long began his position as the Director of Graduate Studies in the philosophy department at Pennsylvania State University.

Long was also Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies and professor of philosophy and classics from 2010 until 2013, before joining Michigan State University as Associate Dean for Graduate and Undergraduate Education and Professor of Philosophy and Classics.

Ruth Nicole Brown, the inaugural department chairperson of the Department of African and African American studies at MSU, spoke highly of Long.

“When you speak of Dean Long, or experience him, you will hear him talk about values driven leadership,” Brown said. “What I appreciate most about the way Dean Long talks about values and institutional change is actually more about the ways he practices it again on the daily, with consistency, [and] with respect for all persons.”

During his time at MSU Long implemented multiple programs within the university to expand their academics, such as the Department of African American and African Studies and the Citizen Scholars program. In 2021, Long was appointed as Dean of the Honors College.

Bess German, the associate dean of the Honors College at MSU, noted that Long cares for the success of his students.

“Students love Dean Long. I think the reason they do is because he cares about the work that they’re doing, and he wants to see them succeed at the highest levels,” German said.

Long began his role as Provost on June 17.