Florida State University’s new president has been confirmed.
Richard McCullough, former vice provost of research at Harvard, will take over for outgoing President John Thrasher starting Aug. 16.
McCullough says what attracted him most to FSU was the culture.
"One of the things I learned about Florida State is a tremendous pride that the University has and how the people have this family culture. It’s a welcoming culture," McCullough said. "And boy, the more I went there the more I was like, 'Boy, I want this job. I really want to be a part of this.'"
FSU recently made the U.S. News and World Report's top 20 public school rankings, and also set a state university record for having a 74% graduation rate, which ranks top-10 amongst public universities.
FSU Board of Trustee Chair Ed Burr spoke about why he thinks McCullough is the right choice.
“We had a very impressive group of final candidates. We had scholars and administrators from Tulane University, the University of North Carolina, and Harvard, as you may have heard. So you may ask, 'Why Rick McCullough?'" Burr said. "He understands firsthand the value of higher education and the barriers to success for struggling students. As a first-generation from Mesquite, Texas, Dr. McCullogh began his journey at a local community college.”
Burr praises McCullough’s past efforts to help underrepresented postdoctoral fellows and students obtain academic jobs. A workshop he developed has helped place more than 50 minority professors in the U.S. McCullough leaves his job as vice provost after holding the position for 12 years.
The Board of Governors also confirmed Patricia Okker as the next president of New College of Florida in Sarasota, and reappointed Randy Avent as president of Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland.
Information from News Service of Florida was used in this report.
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