As a higher education leader, faculty member, and researcher, Dr. Blake J. Renner is focused on eliminating barriers to enable students to realize their educational goals. In his current role as the Associate Dean of Students & Title IX Coordinator at Franklin University, he supervises student support services within the Department of Student Affairs and directly handles all civil rights matters for the University. In addition to his administrative role at Franklin University, he has remained committed to teaching. During his tenure at Franklin, he has taught multiple undergraduate courses within the College of Arts, Sciences, and Technology and recently traveled to Seoul, South Korea to teach a course to a cohort of Franklin University students. In 2013 and 2015 he was awarded the Franklin University Teaching Excellence Award.

Dr. Renner is active in grant writing and research projects. His research interests include developmental education, transfer student success, and program effectiveness. He has presented his research at national and regional conferences. Dr. Renner serves on the University’s IRB Review Committee, Compliance Committee, President's Advisory Council, Franklin’s Intervention & Awareness Team, and is the co-chair of the Student Success Initiative Team.

His educational background includes a BA (Psychology: 2003) from Malone University and both his Master’s Degrees (Counseling: 2006 and Curriculum and Instruction: 2008) and Doctorate Degree (Educational Leadership: 2011) from West Virginia University. In addition, he serves as a board member and chair of the Programming Committee for the non-profit, Columbus Inspires, which focuses on supporting the development of leaders while strengthening the community through educational experiences.