11/22/2010 - Jackson, Miss.

The Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning announced today the selection of Dr. Christopher Brown as the preferred candidate for the presidency of Alcorn State University. Dr. Brown currently serves as Executive Vice President and Provost of Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn.

Prior to joining the staff of Fisk University, Dr. Brown served as Dean of the College of Education at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, Vice President for Programs and Administration at the American Association of Colleges for Teacher education and Director of Social Justice and Professional Development for the American Educational Research Association. He is the author of 15 books and monographs, including the most recent, Ebony Towers in Higher Education (2008), The Broken Cisterns of African American Education (2009) and The Case for Affirmative Action on Campus (2009).

Dr. Brown was recommended by the Board Search Committee, chaired by Trustee C.D. Smith, with input from the Campus Search Advisory Committee and the Interview Search Advisory Committee following careful review of all applications and two rounds of interviews.

"Chaired by Trustee C.D. Smith, the Board Search Committee has done a tremendous job in finding the best possible candidate to lead Alcorn State University," said Dr. Bettye Neely, president of the Board of Trustees of the State Institutions of Higher Learning. "I would like to thank all of them for their hard work, dedication and commitment to this very important task."

Dr. Brown received a bachelor's degree in elementary education from South Carolina State University and a master's degree in educational policy and evaluation from the University of Kentucky. He holds a doctorate in higher education from The Pennsylvania State University with a cognate in public administration and political science.

"The Board Search Committee took their mission of selecting the right candidate very seriously," said C.D. Smith, chair of the Board Search Committee for the Alcorn State University presidential search, an ad hoc committee of the Board of Trustees. "We valued the information and ideas provided by the Campus Search Advisory Committee throughout the process. The members of the Committee and Co-Chairs Stephen McDaniel and Percy Norwood played a critical role in the search process and I appreciate their time and service. I look forward to everyone having a chance to meet Dr. Brown during the campus visit."

Campus listening sessions were held in August with constituency groups for the members of the Board Search Committee and the Campus Search Advisory Committee to hear what qualities and qualifications stakeholders believed the next institutional executive officer should possess. After careful review of all applicants, the Campus Search Advisory Committees submitted the names of several candidates unranked to the Board Search Committee and selected the Interview Search Advisory Committee. The Board selected the candidates to be interviewed and two rounds of interviews were held.

Members of the Campus Search Advisory Committee include James McDonald, Percy Norwood, Dr. Nate Hughes, Charles McClelland, Zelmarine Murphy, Donna Green Hayden, Stephen McDaniel, Noland J. Boyd, Dr. Peter K. Malik, Dr. Ming Gao, Dr. Alpha Morris, Dr. Dickson Idusuvi, Dr. Edward Vaughn, Kevin Appleton, Dr. Barry Bequette, Dr. Linda Godley, Dr. Wanda Arrington, Brenda Square, Dr. Wanda Newell, Corey Cooper, Tasheena Galmore, Brandee Haney, Mayor Paul Winfield, Robert Gage, Mayor Jake Middleton, Rogers W. King, Mayor Fred Reeves and James Caery.

"I would like to thank the members of the Campus Search Advisory Committee for their time throughout the search process and for helping us to find a candidate with a stellar background and a proven record of achievement," said Percy Norwood, co-chair of the Campus Search Advisory and president of the Alcorn State University National Alumni Association. "Dr. Brown is a dynamic leader and a wonderful fit for Alcorn State University."

Dr. Brown will meet with campus constituency groups on a visit to the campus in Lorman. The visit will be held on Tuesday, November 30, beginning at 8:00 a.m. All sessions will be held in the Clinton Bristow Jr. Dining Hall. While all sessions are open to the public, each session focuses on the needs of a specific constituency group.

"The Campus Search Advisory Committee worked very hard to determine which candidate best meets the needs of Alcorn State University," said Stephen McDaniel, co-chair of the Campus Search Advisory Committee. "We believe we have found someone who understands Alcorn's unique mission as a land-grant institution set in rural Southwest Mississippi. Dr. Brown understands our mission and has the experience needed to position us well on a national stage."

The Board of Trustees meeting will be held at 3:00 p.m. Members of the Board may participate in the meeting via teleconference. The public may attend in the President's Dining Room in the Clinton Bristow Jr. Dining Hall. An executive session may be held in accordance with the Open Meetings Act.

The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning 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.

Dr. Christopher Brown | ASU Presidential Search

###

News Archive