President, Dr. M. Brian Blake

Named Georgia State University’s eighth President in June 2021, Dr. M. Brian Blake is a proven academic leader and an acclaimed engineer and computer scientist. Since arriving at Georgia State, Dr. Blake has focused his strategic visioning around central pillars.

He came to Georgia State after two years as Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at George Washington University, where he oversaw the academic mission of the institution, supporting all academic endeavors and overseeing the research enterprise across the university’s 10 schools and colleges. Prior to joining George Washington in 2019, Blake was Executive Vice President for Academics and the Nina Henderson Provost at Drexel University in Phila delphia, where he led the implementation of a new, responsibility-centered budget model and the president’s strategic plan. He developed the academic vision, “Creating the 21st Century Academic Experience.” During his four-year tenure, Blake helped Drexel recruit its most academically gifted class, achieve the highest retention rate in the university’s history and increase research activity to all-time high levels.

Before going to Drexel, Blake was Vice Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Miami in Miami, Fla., where he oversaw 155 programs in 12 schools and colleges. He earned a resolution of tribute from the university’s Board of Trustees for elevating the visibility of graduate education and significantly enhancing the environment for faculty success.

He was an Associate Dean for Research and Professor at the College of Engineering at the University of Notre Dame where he oversaw research programs and graduate studies in the College of Engineering. During his tenure, the college had record increases in research awards and expendi tures and the graduate program grew by more than 30 percent.

Prior to joining Notre Dame, Blake was on the faculty of Georgetown University where he was Chair of the Department of Computer Science. He was Chair and Director of Graduate Studies during the inaugural years of the university’s first graduate program in computer science. He also led several STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) initiatives, including a new professional master’s program in technology management and collaborative efforts with the depart ments of Biostatistics and Radiology in the Medical School.

As a Distinguished University Professor of Systems and Software Engineering, Blake had appointments in the Department of Computer Science, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and the Department of Neuroengineering.

Blake, a computer scientist and software engineer, spent six years as a software architect with Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics and The MITRE Corporation. Blake has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Mercer University and a Ph.D. in information and software engineering from George

Mason University. His research has received more than $12 million in funding, and he is an author of more than 200 scholarly publications. Blake is the first Black president in the university’s 114-year history.

Blake grew up in Savannah, Ga., and attended Benedictine Military Academy. He and his wife, Bridget, have two sons, Brendan and Bryce.