Contact: Maridith Geuder
Carson C. Cook Jr.
A 25-year veteran of human resources, equal opportunity and compliance programs in academic and corporate settings is the new affirmative action officer at Mississippi State University.
Carson C. Cook Jr. assumed his new position Nov. 11. Previously, he was employee relations manager for Jacksonville, Fla.-based MPS Group, a Fortune 1000 company and one of the largest international providers of specialty staffing and business solutions.
"Carson Cook brings valuable skills and a record of success to this critical management role at Mississippi State University," said Interim President J. Charles Lee. "We look forward to his leadership in building on the university's commitment to diversity and providing a supportive working environment for all faculty and staff."
Formal approval of Cook's appointment is expected at an upcoming meeting of the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning.
Cook earlier held positions as associate director of the diversity and compliance programs office at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; director of equal opportunity programs at the University of North Florida at Jacksonville; and assistant director for affirmative action at Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis.
He holds a bachelor's degree from Roosevelt University in Chicago and has done graduate work at the University of Chicago.