Atlanta — September 28, 2011

East Georgia College President Dr. John Bryant Black has announced his plans to retire, effective Dec. 31, 2011.

Black has served as president of the college since August of 2004. During his tenure, enrollment has increased 147 percent, from 1,381 students in fall 2004 to 3,418 in fall 2011. And this past June, the Board of Regents approved state college status for East Georgia, which allows it to offer for the first time a baccalaureate degree in biology.

Under Black’s leadership, the College opened this fall its first student housing – a 200-bed, $8 million complex that allows students to reside on campus in apartment-style units.

“John Black has a long and distinguished career in the University System and the Board and students have benefited greatly from his service,” said University System of Georgia (USG) Chancellor Hank Huckaby. “His leadership at East Georgia College for the past seven years has overseen significant growth as it has evolved to meet the region’s growing demands for higher education.”

Prior to being named as EGC’s president, Black served as a special assistant to the vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at the Board of Regents from 2003 to 2004.

He previously served as vice president for academic affairs at Dalton State College in Dalton, Ga., from 1999 to 2003, and vice president for academic affairs at EGC, from 1994 to 1999.

Before that, he taught at Augusta College (now Augusta State University) in Augusta, Ga., where he was a member of the biology faculty from 1965 to 1994. Black twice served as acting chair of Augusta State’s Department of Biology - initially from February 1974 to June 1976, and again from June to December of 1992. He directed Augusta College’s Evening Program from 1966 to 1968.

Black - who has published numerous papers on his specialty, fertility issues, throughout his 45-year career in higher education - also held several non-academic positions during his years at Augusta College.

He served as director of the in vitro fertilization laboratories at Macon Assisted Reproductive Technologies, in Macon, Ga. (1993-1997) and at Humana Hospital in Augusta (1985-1987). He also served as director of laboratories for the Southeastern Fertility Center in Charleston, S.C., (1983-1985) and vice president and director of laboratories for the Xytex Corporation in Augusta (1975-1977).

Black, a native of Whitfield County, Georgia, moved with his family to Swainsboro and attended Kindergarten through 2nd grade in Swainsboro before his father was transferred to Augusta. He holds a A.B. in chemistry from Mercer University in Macon, Ga., and a Ph.D. in endocrinology from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Ga. He is married to the former Dorothy Louise Curran of Macon.

Information regarding the search for Black’s replacement will be announced at a later date.

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