Dr. Michael Hole to serve as the next provost. Photo courtesy of Butler University. 

DAVID JACOBS | MANAGING EDITOR | drjacobs@butler.edu 

In an email from President Danko on Nov. 20, Butler announced that Dr. Michael Hole — a class of 2008 alum — has been named as Butler’s new executive vice president and provost. 

In addition to the titles, Hole will serve as a professor of health and public policy in the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. 

This hiring comes following the announcement of President Danko’s Boldly Butler initiative — a $325 million campaign aimed at delivering “transformative education with local impact and global reach.” 

Hole will be working alongside Alan Finn, the executive vice president and chief operating officer, and Melissa Beckwith, the executive vice president and chief strategy officer, to help fulfill Danko’s Boldly Butler strategy. 

“With his intellect, work ethic, and his enduring belief in Butler’s mission, Michael embodies the Butler spirit,” President Danko stated in a press release. “We are thrilled to welcome him home.”

Upon graduating from Butler, Hole garnered experience in a variety of fields, including healthcare, business, higher education and government. 

A Forbes “30 Under 30” honoree, Hole has founded nine mission-driven organizations, served as a White House fellow at the Domestic Policy Council and as the senior advisor for rural America in the executive office of the president. He has also authored over 70 scholarly publications and served as a captain in the 301st Fighter Wing of the U.S. Air Force Reserve. 

Hole replaces Dr. Brooke Barnett, who left the university in June of 2025 to become the president of Rollins College.