Mississippi State University Provost and Executive Vice President Jerome Gilbert was named the 37th president of Marshall University Tuesday, beating out two other finalists for the position.
Gilbert will assume his new role in January.
“What an honor it is to be asked to lead Marshall University,” he said in a statement. “I’ve been so impressed by everything I’ve learned and seen. This is such a wonderful opportunity. We are in a position to be able to take Marshall University to another level of excellence and really advance as a major university.”
Gilbert was selected by the university’s board of governors Monday. He was picked over two other finalists: Oregon Institute of Technology President Christopher Maples and University of Southern Mississippi marine science professor Denis Wiesenburg.
Gilbert was previously named as a finalists for similar openings at Austin Peay State University and the University of Southern Alabama.
He joined MSU as an associate professor in 1988 and worked his way into a variety of positions, including leading the university’s department of agricultural and biological engineering and coordinating the biomedical engineering graduate program.
Gilbert served six years as associate provost and was named provost in 2010.
“As an alumnus of Mississippi State, I will always cherish my relationship to my alma mater and remain very grateful for the opportunities afforded me and my family here,” he said in a MSU release. “We will leave deep friendships and great memories behind in Starkville, but we’re very anxious to meet new friends and new challenges at Marshall.”
MSU President Mark Keenum commended Gilbert’s selection, saying in a release that the university “made an extremely wise choice.”
“Dr. Gilbert has been an extraordinarily effective executive vice president and provost at Mississippi State, and I know he will take that same thoughtful, deliberate and courageous leadership style to Marshall,” he said in a release. “While his departure leaves a void in our administration, I’m happy for Jerry and Leigh to have the opportunity to lead a great university.”
Carl Smith covers Starkville and Oktibbeha County for The Dispatch. Follow him on Twitter @StarkDispatch
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