Jeffrey Pethybridge, PhD, is the interim Vice President for Academic Affairs and Chief Academic Officer at Naropa University. He has held numerous influential roles at Naropa, including chair of the Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics, Director of the Summer Writing Program, and Chair of Cauldron. His tenure at Naropa has been marked by a balanced approach to honoring the institution’s legacy while fostering innovation, a skill honed through his decade-long collaboration with Anne Waldman. Pethybridge has also been a key member of the Naropa College and Graduate Collective Curriculum and Assessment Committee and the Provost’s Leadership Council, contributing significantly to the university’s academic and administrative framework.
In addition to his leadership roles, Pethybridge is a distinguished poet and editor. His poetry appears widely in journals such as Chicago Review, Volt, and The Iowa Review, and his forthcoming book, Force Drift, will be published by Tupelo Press in Fall 2025. As the North American Editor for Likestarlings, a web-archive of collaborative poetry and poetics, he plays a vital role in the broader literary community. Pethybridge’s dual expertise in academic leadership and creative writing underscores his commitment to advancing Naropa’s mission while engaging with contemporary literary and educational landscapes.
