Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director
Biography
Dr. Pat Akos serves as Associate Vice Provost for the Division of Student Success and Executive Director of University Honors at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In this capacity, he also provides executive oversight of the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships and maintains a professorial appointment in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (CEHHS).
With over three decades of experience spanning K-12 education, clinical mental health counseling, higher education, and academic leadership, Dr. Akos’s career reflects a steadfast commitment to advancing student success. Before his tenure at UT, he served as a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for twenty years. His scholarly work, informed by a strengths-based and humanistic framework, has advanced research and practice in counseling, career development, student transitions, and thriving. He has published extensively, including over 100 scholarly works, and has been recognized for his contributions to the field through national awards and service on prestigious boards and councils.
Since joining the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Dr. Akos has led transformational initiatives in honors education and undergraduate research. He spearheaded a comprehensive strategic planning process for University Honors, resulting in a newly designed, interdisciplinary curriculum aligned with contemporary problem-solving and leadership development, and forged strong partnerships across eleven academic colleges. Under his leadership, the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships expanded its reach, significantly increasing participation among a wide range of students. His work continues to position the University of Tennessee as a national leader in innovative honors and student success programming.
Dr. Akos holds a B.S. from Vanderbilt University in Human and Organizational Development and Secondary Education, an M.A. from Morehead State University in Higher Education, and a Ph.D. in Counselor Education from the University of Virginia. He remains committed to fostering environments where students, faculty, and institutions can achieve excellence and sustained impact.
Clifton Strengths: Relator, Maximizer, Ideation, Individualization, Futuristic