Contact Us

Diana McGill
Provost and Executive
Vice President for Academic Affairs
Email:    mcgill@nku.edu
Office:    AC 830
Phone:   (859) 572-5788

Dr. Diana McGill became NKU's new Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs in 2024 after serving seven years as Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. A native of Kentucky and alumna of NKU, Dr. McGill has served at NKU for more than 30 years.

She first came to NKU as an undergraduate student, graduating with a BS in Biology and a BA in Chemistry. She went on to earn her Ph.D. in Biochemistry at Harvard University and completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She then rejoined NKU as a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry. Immediately prior to becoming dean, Dr. McGill returned to the faculty after serving nine years as chair in her home department; there she focused on student-centered issues such as retention, advising, and curriculum reform.

Sylretta (Rita) Jones
Supervisor, Provost Office Operations
Email: joness50@nku.edu
Office: AC 830
Phone: (859) 572-5788

Jason Vest
Associate Provost for Academic and Student Affairs
Email:    vestj3@nku.edu 
Office:    AC 830
Phone:   (859) 572-5622

Jason Vest is Associate Provost for Academic and Student Affairs at NKU. He has been at NKU since 2014 after six years on the faculty at Eastern New Mexico University. Jason completed his Master of Business Administration degree in 2020 and actively works on strategic initiatives for the university, including Success by Design; diversity, equity, and inclusion; the first-year experience; student success and well-being, student engagement, assessment and accreditation; faculty and administrator orientation; and faculty hiring, promotion, and tenure.

Jason Vest enjoys a full life as an active musician and educator. Vest is a Grammy-nominated performer who enjoys equally the challenges of opera, concert, recital, and professional choral work.  He has been featured with Cincinnati Opera, Amarillo Opera, Stara Zagora and Plovdiv opera houses in Bulgaria, Cincinnati Chamber Orchestra, and many others. In concert, he has recently been the featured soloist in the works of Bach, Handel, and Rachmaninoff. Vest has worked with composers to premiere their works in roles he originated or debuted, such as Douglas Pew’s The Good Shepherd and Bradley Ellingboe’s Star Song. 

As a recitalist, Vest delights in the opportunity to communicate closely with audiences and has performed for the Mexico Liederfest in Monterrey and the Vocal Artistry Art Song Festival in Albuquerque, as well as in recitals across the United States. Vest’s album of Richard Hundley’s songs, Evening Hours, was released through Roven Records in the fall of 2018. 

Vest is a member of the Grammy-award winning choral group, Conspirare, under the direction of Craig Hella Johnson. With Conspirare, he has toured throughout the United States, most meaningfully in performances of the Grammy-nominated new oratorio, Considering Matthew Shepard. Vest also sings with the Vocal Arts Ensemble, Collegium Cincinnati, and the Bach Ensemble of St. Thomas. 

Jason Vest is a Professor of Voice at Northern Kentucky University. His students have been finalists at district and regional NATS competitions and have been accepted at graduate schools, including USC, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Texas. He completed his Doctor of Musical Arts Degree at the University of Kentucky after earning a Bachelor of Music from Butler University and a Master of Music from Brigham Young University. Jason is a staff writer for Classical Singer magazine and has also published in the Journal of Singing. 

www.tenorjasonvest.com