10/13/2008 - Jackson, Miss.

The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL) announced in a press conference today that Dr. Donna Oliver, Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Florida, is the preferred candidate for the position of President at Mississippi Valley State University (MVSU). The announcement was made following a meeting of the Board of Trustees, representatives of the Mississippi Valley State University Search Advisory Committee, and search consultants Dr. Jan Greenwood and Ms. Marion Frenche.

"The Board and the Mississippi Valley Search Advisory Committee have worked diligently to identify the best person to take Mississippi Valley to the next level of excellence," said MVSU Board Search Committee Chair Trustee Bettye Henderson Neely.

Dr. Donna Oliver currently serves as Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at Edward Waters College in Jacksonville, Florida. She has a distinguished career as a K-12 public school biology and chemistry teacher, a college professor, and a K-16 administrator that spans 30 years. Dr. Oliver began her college studies at Elon College, where she completed her undergraduate degree in biology and education. After teaching five years at the high school level, she earned a master's of education degree in biology and curriculum and instruction, followed by a Ph.D. in curriculum and teaching from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. A full biography and photo of Dr. Oliver can be found here.

On Tuesday, October 21, Dr. Oliver will participate in open, day-long interviews on the Mississippi Valley State University campus with various university and community constituency groups (schedule forthcoming). Individuals attending the open interviews will be given the opportunity to provide feedback to the Board of Trustees regarding their impressions of Dr. Oliver. At the end of the day, the Board will announce either that Dr. Oliver will be the next president of Mississippi Valley State University, or that the search will continue.

Under the leadership of the Board of Trustees, IHL governs the public universities in Mississippi, including Alcorn State University; Delta State University; Jackson State University; Mississippi State University including the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine; Mississippi University for Women; Mississippi Valley State University; the University of Mississippi including the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and the University of Southern Mississippi.

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