Contact: Joe Farris
George L. Verrall
A veteran faculty member, academic administrator and financial manager is being named interim provost and vice president for academic affairs at Mississippi State.
George L. Verrall assumes the role on Jan. 1 of chief university academic officer and second-ranking administrator, subject to approval of the state College Board.
The appointment was announced Friday [Dec. 7] by J. Charles Lee, who becomes interim president on the first day of 2002. Lee is succeeding departing President Malcolm Portera, while Verrall will take the place of Provost David Cole, who also leaves at the end of the year.
Verrall holds four degrees from Mississippi State and has served the university continuously as a faculty member and administrator for more than 35 years.
"Dr. Verrall is thoroughly familiar with every aspect of the institution and with the state's system of higher education," Lee said. "He has repeatedly demonstrated his commitment to the university throughout his professional career.
"After much careful consideration of this critical appointment, I am confident that we have secured the services of the individual best suited by experience, education, and ability to provide leadership for the academic program during the several months ahead," Lee said.
Verrall began his career as an MSU faculty member in 1965 after completing a master's degree in business administration. He previously had earned bachelor's degrees in both mechanical engineering and business administration, and later received a doctorate in business administration with an emphasis in economics.
After serving as assistant dean and associate dean of the College of Business and Industry during the 1970s, he was named acting assistant vice president for academic affairs and associate vice president for academic and business affairs during the 1976-85 administration of President James D. McComas.
In 1979, he was promoted to vice president for business affairs and served in that position until 1994, when he returned to a full-time faculty position in the business college. A year later, he became head of the department of economics and finance, the post from which he retired July 1, 2000.