STUDENT AFFAIRS STAFF DIRECTORY

Biographical Info

Dr. Michelle G. Cook is the Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of Georgia. Cook began her career at UGA in 1998 and has served in several key administrative roles. She has led the university in building strategies to support students and help them maximize their potential. She has long served as both assistant and associate dean for student affairs in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, coordinating student orientation, academic advising, student academic awards, and graduation. Cook established the Office of Transfer Student Services—the first of its kind at UGA—to help transfer students transition into UGA’s learning environment. Cook also served as the inaugural Franklin Residential College dean, launching UGA’s first residential learning community, in conjunction with University Housing.

More recently, Cook served as the Senior Vice Provost where she made significant contributions in terms of recruitment, retention, and success of students from underrepresented backgrounds. She also has a wealth of experience in strategic planning. Cook co-chaired the development of the university’s 2025 Strategic Plan and chaired the Presidential Task Force on Student Services and Support, which recommended the creation of Dawg Source, a one-stop shop for student services at UGA. As vice president, Cook oversees a division comprising 16 departments and 600 full-time staff members, whose purpose is to support students through a wide range of services and programs that promote an environment in which all students can thrive.

Prior to being named associate provost in 2011, Cook served as an associate dean in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, where she was responsible for student academic affairs. She oversaw the college’s Office of Academic Advising, Graduation Certification Office, and launched the Office for Transfer Academic Success. She is an affiliate faculty member in the Institute for African American Studies and the Institute for Women’s Studies. She also is a member of the Foot Soldiers Project faculty. Cook was the inaugural dean of the Franklin Residential College, where she served for three years, and was a 2008 faculty-in-residence at the UGA at Oxford program in Oxford, England.

Cook holds a bachelor’s degree in history from Princeton University, a master’s degree in African-American Studies from Yale University and a doctorate in history from Duke University.