Meet the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs

David S. Birdsell, Ph.D., serves as Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Kean University, New Jersey’s Urban Research Institution. A driving force behind Kean’s academic ascent, Birdsell played a pivotal role in the University earning the prestigious R2 research designation under the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education—affirming Kean’s exceptional growth in research activity and its commitment to providing students with real-world, hands-on learning opportunities. Since his arrival in 2021, the University has restructured its academic units, introduced peer review into the tenure and promotion process, dramatically expanded extramural support for research, and hired more than half of the tenured and tenure-track faculty.  

At Kean, Birdsell champions academic innovation and prioritizes student success. He spearheads the redesign of Kean’s core curriculum, placing inquiry-based learning and interdisciplinary study at the heart of every degree pathway. Looking toward the future of education, he also leads Kean’s initiatives to integrate artificial intelligence into teaching and curriculum, creating opportunities for faculty and students to engage with leading technologies that prepare them for tomorrow’s careers. 

Beyond Kean’s campuses, Birdsell is a nationally recognized expert in political communication. He co-authored the influential Presidential Debates: The Challenge of Creating an Informed Electorate and Outlines of a Theory of Visual Argument and has shared insights on leadership and public policy in interviews with every major media outlet in the Tri-State area. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. He is also deeply committed to the nonprofit sector, currently serving as Board Chair of the New York Council of Nonprofits and as a board member of BoardStrong, Inc., and Engage NJ.  

Before joining Kean, Birdsell spent more than three decades at Baruch College, City University of New York (CUNY), where he served as Dean of the Austin W. Marxe School of Public and International Affairs and held other senior academic leadership roles. He holds a doctorate in public communication from the University of Maryland and a master’s degree in speech communication and a bachelor’s in history from the University of Virginia.