Nov. 10, 2026
Contact: Janese Heavin, heavinj@missouri.edu
At the University of Missouri, providing students with a world-class education takes more than great faculty and innovative programs. It takes leadership focused on creating opportunities that help Tigers succeed in the classroom and beyond.
As Mizzou's provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, Matt Martens helps shape that experience. Working alongside university leaders, he oversees Mizzou's academic mission and helps ensure students have the knowledge, skills and hands-on opportunities to succeed after graduation.
In this edition of Five Questions, Martens shares what a provost actually does, how his experiences have shaped his leadership and what excites him about Mizzou's academic future.
Let's start with the basics. What exactly does a provost do, and how does your work affect the everyday experiences of Mizzou students?
As provost, I am the chief academic officer of the university. This means I work closely with other academic leaders, including University of Missouri President Mun Choi, our deans and department chairs, on developing and implementing strategies, ideas and initiatives that improve the academic experience for students at Mizzou.
What experiences have most influenced your approach to leadership, and how have they shaped the way you lead at Mizzou?
My experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic had an important impact on my overall approach to leadership at Mizzou. I saw firsthand how leaders from all over campus could come together and make important decisions and solve challenges that we never imagined facing, like how to safely maintain in-person classes and research activities.
When you look across campus, what makes you particularly proud of the education Mizzou is providing students?
I believe we do hands-on activities, such as undergraduate research and internships, better than anybody else across the country.
Beyond what they learn in the classroom, what skills do you think are most important for Mizzou students to develop?
In addition to learning information relevant to their major, our students know that they need to develop other skills that will make them successful in whatever they choose to do, such as how to work effectively in teams, how to deal with failure and how to interact effectively with people from all kinds of different backgrounds and life experiences.
Looking ahead, what excites you most about Mizzou's academic future?
Even with challenges related to artificial intelligence and other societal issues, we are going to continue to provide a world-class experience for our students that helps them be fully prepared for whatever comes next for them after Mizzou.
