Christopher N. Butler
Consultant
Chris.Butler@academicsearch.org
Dr. Christopher N. Butler is one of Academic Search’s most prolific consultants, having completed more than 140 executive searches. Since joining the firm in 2014, Dr. Butler’s wealth of experience, knowledge, and unique ability to entrench himself in an institution’s culture is unmatched.
Dr. Butler holds a Ph.D. in cultural anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His innate interest in understanding an institution’s unique culture, his ability to discern distinctive patterns, and his dedication to thorough vetting are skills that prove invaluable in the realm of higher education recruiting and consulting. Stemming from his personal commitments and professional background having performed ethnographic fieldwork within the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, he emphasizes diversity and inclusion throughout the search process and recruits rich candidate pools. Dr. Butler is also committed to working closely with committees and institutional leaders to ensure honest evaluations, fair search processes, and successful placements.
With his professional background and respectful approach, he initiates searches by meeting with and listening to the perspectives of a broad range of stakeholder groups to develop search material and strategies that speak to each institution’s unique culture. This attention to detail allows him to search for candidates who are strong matches for the position, and he can present a rich sense of the institution to potential candidates.
Dr. Butler earned a bachelor’s degree in history and sociology, as well as a graduate certificate in cultural resource management, from West Virginia University prior to his graduate work at UW-Madison. After receiving his doctorate, Dr. Butler was an editorial coordinator and project manager for Apex CoVantage. In that capacity, he worked with a variety of academic presses as manuscripts were finalized for publication.
As a Consultant, Dr. Butler’s sincerity and respect for each institution’s unique culture make him an asset in every search. His searches include chief executive officers, provosts and the full range of cabinet-level vice presidents, deans of major academic units, and endowed chairs at institutions looking to grow and strengthen faculty research capacities. As he continues to excel in his work, Dr. Butler remains committed to the mission of higher education and helping each institution prosper with each successful hire.
