Bethel University names Dr. Joseph R. Hames as its first permanent Provost, capping a nearly 30-year career at the institution.
by Bethel University
McKENZIE, Tenn. — Bethel University announced today that Dr. Joseph R. Hames has been named University Provost. Hames, who has served as interim Provost since 2025, becomes the first person to hold the position permanently in the University's 184-year history.
The appointment follows a competitive national search that attracted highly qualified candidates from across the country.
“It is no surprise that Dr. Hames stood out from the rest of the field,” said Bethel University President Dr. Perry Moulds. “Over the past 15 months he has led our undergraduate and health-related academic programs with great success while essentially inventing the role of Provost at Bethel in the process. His work, especially through the development of Vision 2030, has made our University better in numerous ways. I look forward to a bright future with Dr. Hames serving as the inaugural Provost of Bethel University.”
As Provost, Hames serves as the University's chief academic officer, overseeing undergraduate and health-related academic programs, student life, the library, the registrar and the offices of institutional research, effectiveness and accreditation.
“I am deeply grateful for the trust President Moulds and the Board have placed in me,” Hames said. “Bethel has been home to my family for nearly 30 years, and it has been a privilege to serve alongside faculty and staff who care so much about our students. I look forward to continuing that work together in the years ahead.”
Dr. Hames brings nearly three decades of service to Bethel and a distinguished career in medicine and academic leadership. A Diplomate of the American Board of Family Medicine, he earned a bachelor's degree in English from Furman University, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and graduated from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine as a charter member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He completed his family practice residency at Memorial Medical Center in Savannah, Georgia, and practiced medicine in South Carolina before moving to McKenzie in 1998.
At Bethel, Hames served on the exploratory committee that established the University's Physician Assistant program, which enrolled its first class in 2001, and became the program's founding medical director. He was named Dean of the College of Health Sciences in 2010 and Vice President of the College of Health Sciences in 2014 before his appointment as interim Provost. He also served on the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant from 2016 through 2021 and earned a Master of Arts in Christian Counseling from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary in 2026.
Hames is married to the Rev. Dr. Anne Hames, Dean of the Chapel at Bethel University. They have three grown children and eight grandchildren.
About Bethel University
Founded in 1842, Bethel University has spent nearly 185 years helping students turn their talents into purpose. Located in McKenzie, Tennessee, within two hours of both Nashville and Memphis, Bethel enrolls nearly 3,000 students from 33 states and 41 countries. As an inclusive Christian community, the University is dedicated to equipping individuals for a life of service through academic, spiritual, social and experiential learning to go forth and transform the world. With 52 undergraduate programs and nine graduate programs, Bethel aims to be a leader in student-centered education through innovative academics, character formation and life skills development. For more information, visit bethelu.edu.