Contact: Phil Hearn
STARKVILLE, Miss.--A Mississippi State alumnus and onetime elementary school principal in neighboring Lowndes County is returning to the Starkville campus as the university's new dean of the College of Education.
Richard Lee Blackbourn, a professor and administrator at Clemson University for the past 16 years, will assume the MSU position July 1. His appointment was approved by the state College Board during its regular June meeting.
"Producing well-trained, new teachers is critical for every state and it is especially critical for the state of Mississippi," said MSU Provost Peter Rabideau. "We are fortunate to have Richard Blackbourn join us as dean of the College of Education at a time when we have many challenges and many opportunities."
Blackbourn succeeds professor and interim dean Sue Minchew, who has filled the MSU post since the June 30, 2003, retirement of education dean Roy Ruby.
"I feel honored to have the opportunity to return to Mississippi and serve as dean of the College of Education at MSU," said Blackbourn, a native of Blossom, Texas. "The college has a distinguished record of service to the state and is poised to support Dr. (Charles) Lee's goals that relate to educational attainment, economic development and quality of life.
"The college has unlimited potential in the areas of teaching, service and research," he added. "I look forward to working with faculty, students, staff, and administration, along with individuals throughout the state, in realizing this potential."
Blackbourn earned three degrees from Mississippi State--including bachelor's and master's degrees in elementary education in 1974 and 1976, respectively, and a doctorate in educational leadership in 1983.
He taught school in Natchez and Pascagoula from 1974 to 1977, before serving from 1977 to 1984 as an elementary school principal in Lowndes County.
He held teaching and administrative posts at Northeast Louisiana University from 1984 until joining the Clemson faculty in 1989. For the past three years at Clemson, he has served as professor and chair of leadership, technology and counselor education.
"Dr. Blackbourn is highly regarded by his colleagues at Clemson, and he brings both knowledge of the state of Mississippi and an extensive background in education to his position as dean," Rabideau noted in announcing the appointment.
Blackbourn has written numerous scholarly articles, published widely in professional research publications over the years and is the co-editor of one book, "The Pursuit of Continuous Improvement in Educational Organizations," published by University Press of America Inc. in 1997.
He served as president-elect of the South Carolina Association for Rural Education in 2004 and is a member of Phi Kappa Phi. He also is associate editor of The Record in Educational Leadership, and serves on the editorial boards of two other national journals.
For more information, contact Waanda Lee, administrative assistant, MSU Office of the Provost, at (662) 325-3742 or wlee@provost.msstate.edu.