Dr. Kenton Sparks currently serves as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Eastern University, providing leadership for the university’s academic, student affairs, athletics, marketing, and enrollment offices. He joined the Eastern community as a professor of Biblical Studies in 2000. Kent served as our Provost from 2012-2014, as our Vice President for Marketing & Enrollment from 2014-2017, and then returned to the Provost Office in 2017. In addition to his experience in administration, Kent is an accomplished scholar and teacher. As Professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern, he has written six books and numerous articles, has served as the regional president for the Society of Biblical Literature, and has been tapped as Teacher of the Year at Eastern University; he is also a recipient of the Lindback Foundation Award for Excellence in Teaching. Dr. Sparks earned his Bachelor's degree in Biblical Studies from Johnson University, the Master's degree in Hebrew Bible from Columbia International University, the Master's in Business Administration from Kennesaw State University, and the Doctor of Philosophy in Religious Studies from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Although his PhD thesis was completed in Hebrew Bible under the direction of Dr. John Van Seters, Professor Bart Ehrman served as the outside examiner for his minor in New Testament and early Judaism. Sparks is an ordained minister in two denominations. He is married since 1988 to Cheryl Bailey Sparks, a marriage & family at Eastern, and has two adult daughters, Emily and Cara Ellen.