© 2024 WFSU Public Media
WFSU News · Tallahassee · Panama City · Thomasville
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Board of Governors Confirms Richard McCullough As Next Florida State University President

President Richard McCullough
Florida State University
Florida State University President Richard McCullough

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 August 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.

Blaise Gainey is a State Government Reporter for WFSU News. Blaise hails from Windermere, Florida. He graduated from The School of Journalism at the Florida A&M University. He formerly worked for The Florida Channel, WTXL-TV, and before graduating interned with WFSU News. He is excited to return to the newsroom. In his spare time he enjoys watching sports, Netflix, outdoor activities and anything involving his daughter.