Mark Byrnes – Biography

Dr. Mark Byrnes has served as provost at Middle Tennessee State University since 2017, following a year as interim provost, and is the longest-tenured chief academic officer among Tennessee’s public universities. As MTSU’s chief academic officer, he provides leadership for academic affairs, research, enrollment management, student success, and international education initiatives. 

Byrnes leads the Division of Academic Affairs, which serves students across 10 colleges, 40 departments, and more than 330 academic degrees and concentrations. During his tenure, MTSU has launched a broad array of new academic offerings, including 27 undergraduate degrees, 5 undergraduate certificates, 13 graduate degrees, and 5 graduate certificates, reflecting the University’s commitment to aligning academic preparation with regional workforce needs and to supporting regional and statewide economic growth. 

Byrnes guided the university’s academic units through the transition from the Tennessee Board of Regents to a locally governed Board of Trustees and led the academic response during the COVID-19 pandemic. He directed the development and implementation of Quest for Student Success 2025, MTSU’s comprehensive roadmap for improving retention and graduation, through which undergraduate retention increased by 6%. Under Provost Byrnes’ leadership, his office established leadership development institutes for both faculty and staff, enhanced the faculty tenure and promotion processes, and strengthened academic resource allocation models in support of academic quality and student success. 

A Murfreesboro native, Byrnes graduated from Riverdale High School before earning a B.S. in political science from MTSU. He also holds a diploma in international and comparative politics from the London School of Economics, as well as a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in political science from Vanderbilt University. He joined the MTSU faculty in 1991 and has served as the interim chair of the Department of Political Science, as an associate dean, and as the dean of the College of Liberal Arts. 

Byrnes has been deeply engaged in public service throughout his life. He spent two terms on the Rutherford County Board of Education, where he held leadership roles as both chair and vice chair. He is also a past president of the Tennessee Political Science Association and previously served on the board of ThinkTennessee, a nonpartisan public policy organization. In 2010, he was honored with the MTSU Foundation’s Outstanding Public Service Award.