Branden Grimmett

Branden joined Emory University in 2022 as the inaugural vice provost for career and professional development and associate dean in Emory College of Arts and Sciences. In this role, he oversees the newly created Pathways Center, an initiative that provides resources and experiences to Emory College students and alumni to help them reach their full potential. The Center encompasses: Career and Professional Development; Undergraduate Research Programs; National Scholarships and Fellowships; Pre-Health Advising; and Experiential Learning. The Center also serves as a single hub for recruiting Emory talent, attracting top employers in every industry locally, nationally, and globally.

Prior to Emory, Branden served as the associate provost at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Branden also taught career development theory and process to master’s level students at the University of Southern California’s Rossier School of Education.

Branden was the founding director of the Piper Center for Vocation and Career at St. Olaf College, charged by the president to transform the career center into an innovative, results-oriented operation. Prior to St. Olaf, Branden served as associate director of career services at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, working with employers such as NATO, the United Nations, the Council on Foreign Relations, Capitol Hill, and the Intelligence Community to support graduate student career pathways in defense, energy, intelligence, politics, think tanks, and trade. Branden has held positions at Harvard University, Brill Neumann Associates, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Civil Rights, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, and WorldTeach.

Branden received his Ed.D. in higher education administration from the University of Southern California. He received his M.T.S. from Harvard University in theological studies and his B.A. in music and religion from St. Olaf College. He is a classically trained pianist and organist and TONY®-nominated Broadway producer (The Piano Lesson; New York, New York; The Wiz; Othello).

Branden is a member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the Council on Undergraduate Research, the National Association of Fellowships Advisors, the National Association of Advisors of Health Professions, and the Society for Experiential Education.