MSU-Meridian dean accepts post at University of West Florida

STARKVILLE, Miss. - Mississippi State University-Meridian Dean and Associate Vice President Steven F. Brown will step down on Sept. 12 to accept a leadership post at a Florida university.

During his tenure at MSU-Meridian, Brown contributed to the ongoing growth and development of both the College Park and Downtown campuses along with the MSU Riley Center. An $11 million grant from The Riley Foundation of Meridian is providing a new kinesiology program in Mississippi State University's Kress Building, an MSU-Meridian Downtown Campus facility that also will see major renovations under the funding.

"We’re grateful to Steve Brown for his service to Mississippi State University and to the Meridian/Lauderdale County area. We wish him continued success in his career at the University of West Florida," said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. "We will immediately begin a search designed to bring dynamic new leadership to MSU-Meridian, which plays such an integral part in our overall mission."

Brown, who has led the MSU-Meridian campus since 2011, has been named the new dean of the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities at the University of West Florida in Pensacola. He is a veteran of prior higher education posts at Emporia State University, the University of Mississippi, Northwest Missouri State University, East Central (Okla.) University and the University of Northern Iowa.

Since inception in 1972, MSU-Meridian has grown to an enrollment more than 600 undergraduate and graduate students. In addition to Lauderdale, the majority of its students come from Clarke, Jasper, Jones, Kemper, Leake, Neshoba, Newton and Scott counties, as well as the adjacent West Alabama region.

Visit www.meridian.msstate.edu for more details on MSU-Meridian. Complete details on MSU are found at www.msstate.edu.