A Change in Leadership at Jackson State University in Mississippi

The board of trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning in Mississippi has placed Thomas Hudson, president of Jackson State University, on administrative leave with pay, effective immediately. No reason was given for the decision to relieve Hudson of his duties. Earlier, this year the university’s faculty senate approved a vote of “no confidence” in Hudson’s leadership. The faculty senate resolution accused the university’s president of failing to respect shared governance, a lack of transparency, and accountability for the campus climate.

In 2020, Hudson was named acting president of Jackson State University. This came in the wake of then-president William Bynum Jr.’s resignation after he was one of 17 people arrested in a prostitution sting operation conducted by the police department in Clinton, Mississippi. Hudson was given the job on a permanent basis later that year.

Before being named president, Hudson had been serving as special assistant to the president and chief diversity officer at the university. He had been a member of the Jackson State staff since 2012. Earlier, he served as an equal employment opportunity specialist for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Hudson holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Jackson State University and a law degree from the University of Mississippi.

Elayne Hayes-Anthony was named acting president of Jackson State University. She currently serves as chair and professor in the department of journalism and media studies at the university. Before joining the Jackson State faculty in 2015, Dr. Hayes-Anthony was a professor of communications and chair of the department of communications at Belhaven University in Jackson from 1998 to 2015.

Dr. Hayes-Anthony earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Jackson State University. She holds a Ph.D. in organizational communication and broadcast law from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale.

A Quartet of Black Faculty Members Who Are Taking on New Assignments

Stacy Gee Hollins was appointed interim associate provost of academic affairs at Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis. Dr. Hollins will continue to serve as dean of the Anheuser-Busch School of Business at the university, a post she has held since 2020. Earlier, she was an associate professor of management information systems at Maryville University in St. Louis.

Dr. Hollins is a graduate of Saint Louis University, where she majored in organizational studies and communications. She holds an MBA from Fontbonne University in St. Louis and a Ph.D. in education from the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Getiria Onsongo was promoted and granted tenure in the department of mathematics, statistics, and computer science at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is an expert in the field of bioinformatics with a primary focus on clinical genomics and agricultural informatics. Prior to joining the faculty, Dr. Onsongo was an analyst at the Minnesota Supercomputing Institute.

A native of Kenya, Dr. Onsongo is a graduate of Macalester College. He holds a master’s degree and a doctorate in computer science from the University of Minnesota.

Candis Watts Smith, an associate professor of political science at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, has been given additional duties as interim vice provost for undergraduate education. She joined the faculty in 2021 after teaching at Pennsylvania State University. Her research examines the influence of race and ethnicity in shaping citizens’ identities, political attitudes, and policy preferences. Dr. Smith is the author or editor of several books including Black Mosaic: The Politics of Black Pan-Ethnic Diversity (New York University Press, 2014).

Dr. Smith earned bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. degrees at Duke University.

Terrell Brown was appointed director of the master of social work degree program at Jackson State University in Mississippi. Dr. Brown is a tenured associate professor in the College of Health Sciences. He previously served as a tenured faculty member in the department of social work at Florida A&M University. Dr. Brown also taught at Barry University’s Ellen Whiteside McDonnell School of Social Work in Miami Shores, Florida.

Dr. Brown completed his bachelor’s degree in psychology at Florida Memorial University. He earned a master’s degree in higher, adult, and lifelong education and a master of social work degree from Michigan State University. Dr. Brown received his Ph.D. in social work/social gerontology from Howard University in Washington, D.C.