Presidential Inauguration | Dr. Matthew J. Draud

Dr. Matthew J. Draud is an accomplished academic leader with over 20 years of progressive administrative experience in both public and private higher education. Since beginning his full-time faculty appointment in 1997, Dr. Draud has established a consistent trajectory of service and leadership, earning tenure and promotion to Associate Professor in 2003 before being elected to chair the biology department, a role he held for 10 consecutive years. He was promoted to Professor in 2009 and has published dozens of peer-reviewed research articles in scientific journals, focusing primarily in the fields of animal behavior and ecology. 

In 2013, Dr. Draud accepted the position of tenured Professor and Department Head of Biology at Armstrong State University, where he supervised 30 full-time faculty and a department serving over 800 majors. He then became the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Siena Heights University in 2016, serving on the President’s executive team and collaborating to address institutional challenges. 

Driven by a desire for greater decision-making agency, Dr. Draud accepted the role of Vice President for Academic Affairs at McMurry University in 2020. In this capacity, he has overseen significant growth and innovation, including the establishment of the McMurry University Dual Credit Academy, the War Hawk Success Center, new degree programs, and the expansion of grant-funded initiatives. He has also played a key role in the university’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, co-chairing the Diversity Council and leading initiatives to promote equitable access and support for all students. Additionally, Dr. Draud has worked closely with advancement teams to secure transformative gifts at his previous institutions, including a transformative $6 million endowed estate gift at McMurry University that supports student success initiatives. 

Dr. Draud is originally from Kentucky and is the proud father of two. He enjoys the outdoors and hiking and considers himself an amateur musician.