Jay Brewster
Provost and Chief Academic Officer
Jay Brewster began his term as Pepperdine's provost and chief academic officer on August 1, 2021. The provost reports directly to the president, provides academic leadership to the University and its five schools and colleges, and devotes significant time to issues of academic planning, program development, assessment, and the advancement of scholarship.
The provost also oversees critical University departments each supporting student and faculty academic endeavors, including the Center for Faith and Learning, Information Technology, the Institute for Entertainment, Media, and Sports, the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, the Office of the Registrar and OneStop, the Office of Student Accessibility, and the Office of Research, Grants, and Foundation Relations, and Student Affairs.
Brewster earned his bachelor's degree in science education from Lubbock Christian University. He earned his PhD in cell biology and biochemistry from Rice University, followed with a postdoctoral fellowship at McLaughlin Research Institute for Biomedical Sciences.
Throughout his nearly 25 years of service to Pepperdine, Brewster has been a dedicated teacher, research scientist, and administrator. His research focus has been on the molecular signaling pathways that control cellular adaptation to stress. During his time at Pepperdine, his research team has been populated with undergraduates training for research careers. Research funding has been awarded from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation.
Brewster's dedication to students and their academic growth has been recognized at the University for many years. He is a 2006 recipient of the Howard A. White Award for Teaching Excellence. In 2010, in recognition of his nationally acclaimed scholarship, he was named the Frank R. Seaver Professor in Natural Science.
During his time at Pepperdine University, Brewster served as the divisional dean of Seaver College's Natural Science Division and as associate provost.
Phone: 310.506.4261
Email: jay.brewster@pepperdine.edu
Office of the Provost