Michaele Whelan, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Emerson College, has a B.A., summa cum laude, from Cornell University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in English and American Literature from Harvard University. A humanist with over twenty years of experience in higher education, first in academic and then administrative roles, she has worked with school deans, faculty, students, staff and trustees to shape an academic vision and academic priorities for Brandeis University and Tufts University. She has taught in English departments and programs in American Studies and Women’s Studies at The Pennsylvania State University, Harvard University, Tufts and Brandeis. Her area of expertise is modern and postmodern American literature with a focus on gendered narratology. She is the recipient of teaching awards, has published in her field, and is a member of the academic honor societies Phi Beta Kappa and Phi Kappa Phi.