Executive Vice President & Provost

Meet Interim Provost Blanchard

Troy Blanchard currently serves as the Interim Executive Vice President & Provost of Louisiana State University. Blanchard, the Chief Operating and Chief Academic Officer of LSU’s flagship campus in Baton Rouge, maintains executive oversight over instruction, student support, and research while simultaneously serving as the Chief Academic Officer for all LSU campuses across the state and Chief Academic Advisor to the President. Blanchard reports to President William F. Tate IV, who serves as the chief executive officer of the flagship institution as well as the statewide system.

Blanchard joined the faculty of the LSU Department of Sociology in 2007 and has since held multiple leadership positions, most notably serving as dean of the LSU College of Humanities & Social Sciences (HSS)—one of LSU’s largest colleges—from 2019 through 2025.

As dean of HSS, Blanchard led the development of a comprehensive approach to recruiting and student success, supporting students from enrollment to graduation. Under his leadership, HSS experienced unprecedented growth in both undergraduate enrollments and degrees awarded. He also led the creation of the HSS first-year seminar, designed to help students navigate the transition to university life while connecting their coursework to future careers—an initiative that has had a significant positive impact on student success.

His research bridges demography and data science to tackle pressing societal challenges and guide public policy—from disaster recovery to retaining top talent for Louisiana. His work provides a human-centered understanding of how communities buffer the impact of volatility on population well-being, especially as it relates to Louisiana’s coast.  A central focus of his research is the role of social organizations—such as locally owned businesses, religious institutions, and nonprofits—in creating community cohesiveness to a variety of outcomes, including health, safety, life expectancy, and economic vitality. He has been funded by competitive grants from a variety of agencies, including the National Science Foundation.