Dr. Joshua R. Ziefle Appointed Provost and Chief Academic Officer

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Ziefle to Houghton,” said Wayne D. Lewis, Jr., President of Houghton University. “His scholarly formation, his years of leading faculty and programs at a peer Christ-centered institution, and his deep love for what Christian higher education can be make him exceptionally well-suited to serve as our Provost. We believe God has prepared him well for this moment.”

Dr. Ziefle holds a PhD in Church History and an MDiv from Princeton Theological Seminary and joins Houghton from Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington, where he has served as Dean of the College of Ministry, Dean of the Center for Online and Extended Education, and Director of the Center for Calling and Theological Formation.

During his tenure at Northwest University, he secured over $2.6 million in grants from the Lilly Endowment to launch initiatives in vocational discernment and church planting, with a particular emphasis on serving high school students and underrepresented communities of pastors.

Dr. Ziefle brings to the Provost role a vision that integrates academic excellence, spiritual formation, and mission. He has expressed a commitment to engaging meaningfully with students, faculty, staff, and community partners as he steps into this leadership role — and to ensuring that Houghton remains a place where the next generation of Christian leaders are formed and equipped. Dr. Ziefle will begin his service to Houghton on July 15, 2026.

“Houghton shaped me,” said Dr. Ziefle. “I am honored to have the opportunity to give back to an institution that gave so much to me, and to work alongside this community in carrying out its important mission in the years ahead.”