Mitchell S. McKinney
Dr. Mitchell S. McKinney was named provost and executive vice president of academic
affairs at The University of Toledo on May 29, 2025, following a national search.
He will assume the leadership role on July 14, 2025.
A nationally recognized political communications scholar, McKinney joins UToledo from the University of Akron where he has served since 2021 as dean of the Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences. The largest and oldest degree-granting college at the University of Akron, the college includes five academic divisions, including education, fine arts, humanities, natural sciences and the social sciences, organized in 24 schools and departments and 10 academic centers and institutes.
Prior to that, McKinney served 21 years at the University of Missouri as a professor with joint appointment in the Department of Communication and School of Journalism and held several academic leadership positions, including director of graduate studies and chair of the Department of Communication. His appointment as faculty fellow for academic affairs in the Office of the Provost, initially a one-year term, evolved into a three-year appointment where he served in the role of acting deputy provost during a period of significant administrative transition.
McKinney is the author or co-author of ten books and more than 100 journal articles and book chapters. He has been awarded approximately $1.2 million in support of his research and public engagement activities, with funding from the Knight Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, the Ford Foundation, and the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation.
McKinney has served as an advisor to the U.S. Commission on Presidential Debates and on national election commissions in several countries, including South Korea, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand and Ghana, assisting these nations in developing and implementing their own televised presidential and party leader debates.
In addition to his scholarly work, McKinney has practical political experience having served as a staff member in the U.S. Senate and at the White House. He also served as associate director of the National Communication Association in Washington, D.C., and as president of the Central States Communication Association. He remains a frequent commentator for national and international news media providing expert political commentary.
McKinney completed his Ph.D. in communication studies from the University of Kansas. He has a master’s degree in communication studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and bachelor’s degrees in speech communication and government from Western Kentucky University.