As the state works to determine who the next president of the Mississippi University for Women will be, an interim has been named to hold the spot after Dr. Nora Miller vacates her post.
The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning announced Dr. Scott Tollison as the interim president of MUW, a roughly 2,400-student public university in Columbus. Tollison currently serves as provost and executive vice president of academic affairs at MUW. He will assume the role of interim president on July 1, the day after Miller officially steps down.
Miller announced her retirement back in January. She assumed the MUW presidency in 2018 after serving as vice president and senior vice president for finance and administration for 17 years at her alma mater.
“The Board of Trustees has full confidence in Dr. Tollison and appreciates his acceptance of this responsibility,” IHL Board of Trustees President Gee Ogletree said. “We look forward to working with him as he helps the university maintain its reputation for academic excellence, its commitment to its students, and its role as a key regional university in the state’s public university system.”
The announcement of Tollison as the incoming interim president followed a pair of listening sessions held by the IHL on Tuesday. Officials held the sessions on MUW’s campus to allow students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community stakeholders to weigh in on the qualifications and qualities they want to see in candidates for the next president.
Tollison served as interim provost for one year before he was officially approved as provost in 2019. He was dean of the College of Business and Professional Studies at MUW from 2012-18. A native of West Point, Tollison earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees in business information systems at Mississippi State University. He earned his doctorate there in 2009.
“I am grateful to the Board of Trustees for their confidence, and I am excited about the opportunity to serve MUW in this important role,” Tollison said.
State officials have not announced the next steps regarding the search for a new MUW president. The IHL on Thursday elevated Dr. Denise Jones Gregory from interim to full-time president at Jackson State University. Gregory was promoted from within after the IHL ditched a policy restricting an interim president, signaling that the same could be a possibility for Tollison.
