Mortimer H. Neufville Named Interim President of Coppin State University
Adelphi, MD (November
14, 2012)-William E. Kirwan, chancellor of the University System of
Maryland, has appointed Mortimer H. Neufville as interim president of Coppin
State University, effective January 23, 2013. Neufville is a former executive
vice president with the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities
(APLU) and current APLU consultant. He served as interim president of the
University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) August 2011-June 2012.
The appointment of Neufville follows Coppin State President
Reginald Avery's announcement last month that he is resigning his position
effective January 22, 2013. Neufville will serve as interim president until
Avery's successor is named and joins the Coppin community.
"We are very fortunate that Dr. Neufville has accepted this
appointment," said Kirwan. "With a history of serving higher education with
distinction and effectiveness, he is well positioned to serve Coppin well
during this critical transition period."
From 1983 through 1996, Neufville held several positions at
UMES, including vice president for academic affairs and dean of agricultural sciences
and research director. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. degrees in animal science
from the University of Florida. In 2001, he was awarded the Honorary Doctor of
Science degree from Tuskegee University, from which he earned his B. S. degree
in agriculture. Also in 2001, the University of Florida honored him with its
Distinguished Alumnus Award.
"Thanks to Chancellor Kirwan for his confidence in my
ability to provide leadership for Coppin State University during this period of
transition," said Neufville. "I am very committed to higher education and
especially to our institutions that provide access and opportunities to
first-generation students. Working together with our various constituents, we
can identify key priorities for the future and design appropriate strategies
for even more success for Coppin."
One of the 12 institutions of the University System of
Maryland, Coppin State is a historically black, four-year university offering
28 undergraduate majors and 12 graduate-degree programs in the liberal arts and
sciences, business, education, and nursing. The university has earned local,
national, and international recognition for its information technology efforts,
including being the first historically black university to receive the
prestigious Educause Award for Excellence in Networking. To learn more about
Coppin, visit: www.coppin.edu
Contact: Anne Moultrie
Phone: 301.445.2722
Email: amoultrie@usmd.edu
