Jenny Owens, ScD, MS
Vice Provost of Academic Affairs and Strategic Initiatives 

Jenny Owens was named the University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) vice provost of academic affairs and strategic initiatives in April 2024. She previously served as associate dean of academic affairs and associate professor in the University of Maryland Graduate School as well as executive director of the Graduate Research Innovation District (Grid). 

As an educator and scholar practitioner with a diverse career path in academia, Owens has a record of effective strategic planning, leadership, and management resulting in innovative new services and academic programs. Before becoming vice provost, she was instrumental in the Graduate School’s growth strategy and successfully launched over 20 self-sustaining graduate programs, responsive to the evolving needs of the health and human services workforce in the state. Owens further has experience in student and academic affairs, admissions and enrollment, and accreditation, and she enjoys building new ventures from the ground up through creative partnerships and with a commitment to quality. 

Owens is a former Warnock Social Innovation Fellow, an alumna of the Johns Hopkins University Social Innovation Lab, and was named a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Leader. She actively contributes to research on health equity, health-related social needs, and health care access, focusing on housing. She co-leads an awareness and advocacy committee in a national housing organization. 

Owens earned a bachelor’s degree in exercise and sport science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master’s in management and leadership from East Stroudsburg University, and a doctor of science degree in information and interaction design from the University of Baltimore. With experience teaching across in-person, online, and hybrid environments, she has taught graduate courses in leadership and communications, health science capstone, and human-centered design, among others.  

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