Dr. Pierce will begin the duties of vice president of academic affairs on May 1.
Wayne State College is pleased to announce the hiring of Dr. Jason Pierce as the new vice president for academic affairs. Pierce will begin his duties on May 1, 2026.
Pierce comes to Wayne State from Young Harris College in Young Harris, Ga., where he currently serves as provost and executive vice president. Pierce has overseen academic affairs, enrollment management, student development, information technology, library services, dual enrollment, disability services, policy and compliance, accreditation/IE/IR, communications and marketing, and human resources.
Prior to Young Harris College, Pierce was the vice president of academic affairs at Tusculum College/University in Greenville, Tenn., in 2017 and 2018. He also served as the assistant, associate, and interim vice president for academic affairs at Mars Hill College/University in Mars Hill, N.C., from 2010-2016.
“I am excited to welcome Dr. Jason Pierce to Wayne State College,” said Dr. Marysz Rames, president of Wayne State. “Dr. Pierce’s extensive leadership experience combined with his commitment to building on the successes of our academic programs gives me confidence that we have hired a passionate leader who will work with our faculty, staff, and students to continue to raise the bar for academics at Wayne State.”
“As we look toward Dr. Pierce’s arrival in May, I must say that I am so appreciative of Dr. John Miller, interim vice president for academic affairs, and the tireless work he has done to ensure we sustained momentum under his watch,” added Rames. “I look forward to working with Dr. Miller during the spring semester as we continue to advance our work focused on programs and initiatives that support our mission.”
Pierce earned his bachelor of arts degree (with highest distinction) in English from the University of Maine, his master of letters degree (MLitt) in Scottish Literature from the University of Saint Andrews, his master of arts degree in English from the University of Maine, and his Ph.D. in English from the University of South Carolina.