Atlanta — October 29, 2020

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) today named members of the Georgia State University Presidential Search Committee. The committee will conduct a national search to replace Georgia State President Mark Becker, who will leave as president at the end of June 2021.

“President Mark Becker has led Georgia State to national prominence,” USG Chancellor Steve Wrigley said. “GSU is a national leader in student success with significant increases in graduation rates. Our national search seeks someone with the knowledge, energy and skills to lead GSU to greater heights. We are excited about the future of GSU.”

Members of the Presidential Search Committee are as follows:

• Regent Neil L. Pruitt Jr., committee chair
• Regent and Board Chairman Sachin Shailendra
• Regent Sarah-Elizabeth Langford Reed
• Regent Rachel B. Little
• Regent Lowery Houston May
• Regent T. Dallas Smith
• Regent Philip A. Wilheit Sr.
• Neda Barqawi, Ph.D., GSU alumnus, chief executive officer and managing director, Knovalytics
• Michelle Brattain, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences
• Carol Cohen, assistant vice president for university advising, University Advisement Center
• Cynthia Cornelissen, Ph.D., director, Center for Translational Immunology; professor and associate director, Institute for Biomedical Sciences; distinguished professor
• Donna Frazier, freshman admissions counselor III; chair, Staff Council
• Catherine Henson, J.D., GSU alumnus, former chair, GSU Foundation Board of Trustees
• Kevin Lofton, GSU alumnus, chief executive officer emeritus, CommonSpirit Health; member, GSU Foundation Board of Trustees
• Rodney Lyn, Ph.D., interim dean, senior associate dean for academic and strategic initiatives, associate professor, School of Public Health
• Arun Rai, Ph.D., Regent’s Professor, J. Mack Robinson Chair of IT-Enabled Supply Chains and Process Innovation; director, Center for Digital Innovation; Computer Information Systems Department, J. Mack Robinson College of Business
• Sally Robertson, professor of theater, interim chair, Theater/Fine Arts Department, Perimeter College; member, Senate Executive Committee
• Todd Shutley, GSU alumnus, executive vice president and chief specialty banking officer, Ameris Bank; chair, GSU Foundation Board of Trustees
• Jessica Siemer, graduate student and Ph.D. candidate, Chemistry Department, College of Arts and Sciences
• Andrew Sumner, Sc.D., associate professor, Joe Taylor Chair in Health Administration, associate professor and director, Institute of Health Administration, J. Mack Robinson College of Business
• Kaelen Thomas, university-wide student body president, Student Government Association
• Anne Tucker, J.D., professor, College of Law; director, Legal Analytics & Innovation Initiative
• Regynald Washington, president, Paradies Lagardère Travel Retail Dining Division North America

“Georgia State’s growing research record, innovation in student success and transformation of downtown Atlanta into a thriving campus and academic hub show just how much it means to the city, region and state,” said Regent Neil L. Pruitt Jr., search committee chair. “As an alum, I also know how much it means to students and graduates. It is a great honor and privilege to chair this committee, and I look forward to joining its members in finding top candidates to lead the university toward even greater success.”

The Presidential Search Committee will guide the first stage of the search. Parker Executive Search has been retained to provide search consulting services. At the conclusion of its work, the committee will forward the credentials of three to five unranked candidates to the Board of Regents for consideration.

The initial meeting of the Presidential Search Committee will be Nov. 16, 2020, on the Atlanta campus of Georgia State University, at which time the members will be formally charged with their roles and responsibilities in conducting the search.

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