Associate Provost for Academic Programs

Brian Houston is the associate provost for academic programs at the University of Missouri. In this role, he oversees policies and processes related to academic programs, including academic program reviews, and new degree program proposals. He is the Provost’s Office contact for College/Unit level accreditation activities. He supervises the Teaching for Learning Center, the Campus Writing Program, and the Director of Educational Assessment. Finally, he supports department chairs across campus. Specific duties that Dr. Houston fulfills include:

• Coordinate the 5-year and annual academic program reviews
• Serve as point person in Office of the Provost for academic program proposals, including requests for new programs, program changes, and program activities
• Liaison to Missouri Online
• Provost Office contact for College/Unit Accreditation activities
• Supervise the Teaching for Learning Center, the Campus Writing Program, and the Director of Educational Assessment
• Support department chairs
• Liaison to Faculty Council Academic Affairs Committee
• Liaison to Assessment Resource Center (ARC)
• Liaison to UM System Academic Affairs
• Other duties as assigned

J. Brian Houston, PhD, is professor in the department of communication. He is also director for the Disaster and Community Crisis Center (DCC). Prior to associate provost for academic programs, he was chair of the Department of Public Health in the College of Health Sciences (2023-2024) and the Department of Communication in the College of Arts and Science (2017-2023), and interim chair of the Department of Sociology in the College of Arts and Science (2020-2022). He participated in the SEC Academic Leadership Development Program in 2022-2023.

Houston’s research focuses on communication at all phases of disasters and on the public and mental health effects and political consequences of community crises. Recent and current research projects have examined the impact of media coverage of terrorism on children and adults, the role of new media during disasters, and the capacity for using information communication technologies to increase community resilience. These projects are located at the intersections of the literatures addressing disasters, communication, media, public health, mental health, and political socialization.

Houston’s work has been supported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institute for Nursing Research (NINR), and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).