UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Josh Davis, vice chancellor and chief of staff at the University of Nebraska, has been named senior vice provost and chief of staff at Penn State, effective Jan. 5, 2026.
In his new role, Davis will provide high-level strategic leadership, serving as a trusted adviser and integrative leader across academic and administrative units at the University. He will support Executive Vice President and Provost Fotis Sotiropoulos in advancing institutional priorities through cross-campus collaboration, strategic financial planning and operational effectiveness. He also will drive key initiatives, facilitate and support decision making, and ensure alignment with Penn State’s priorities by coordinating senior staff, managing special projects and fostering innovation.
“Josh Davis brings to Penn State an exceptional breadth of experience and a proven track record of leadership across higher education, global affairs and public service,” Sotiropoulos said. “From his work in the U.S. Department of State to his extensive engagement in international partnerships, and most recently his impact as chief of staff at a Big Ten institution, Josh has demonstrated a rare ability to navigate complexity with clarity, purpose and integrity.”
Davis was selected for this key leadership role after a national search led by Kathy Bieschke, senior vice provost and interim dean of Undergraduate Education, along with a team of administrators and staff from across Penn State.
“I’m deeply appreciative of the opportunity to be the first person to serve in this role and am excited to help build on and expand Penn State’s legacy as a land-grant institution,” Davis said. “I know the University’s Board of Trustees recently approved Penn State’s new strategic plan, and I’m eager to leverage my two decades of experience to help realize this plan to the fullest and advance Penn State’s reputation as a global leader.”
As vice chancellor and chief of staff at the University of Nebraska, Davis worked as part of the Executive Leadership Team to set strategic direction, align resources and implement university-wide strategies and initiatives. A number of units reported to him, including Strategy and External Affairs, University Communications and Marketing, and Institutional Equity and Compliance.
His key accomplishments at Nebraska include establishing the institution’s first global strategy, expanding access to international learning experiences, and creating a new Global Education Center.
During his tenure at Nebraska, he was also associate vice chancellor for global affairs and senior international officer, and held other global leadership positions, including assistant vice chancellor for global engagement in the Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources, and assistant vice president for global strategy and international initiatives for the Nebraska system.
In addition to his work at the University of Nebraska, Davis worked extensively in government, having served as an international affairs officer at the U.S. Department of Defense, a foreign policy fellow in the U.S. Senate and a foreign affairs officer with the U.S. Department of State.
A native of Rittman, Ohio, and a first-generation college graduate, Davis holds bachelor of arts degrees with honors in history and art history from the University of Akron, and a juris doctor degree from the University of Akron School of Law.