Contact: Maridith Geuder
STARKVILLE, Miss.--Mississippi State formally will inaugurate its 19th president in Oct. 16 campus ceremonies.
The public event for Mark Keenum, new chief executive of the 131-year-old land-grant institution, will begin at noon in Bettersworth Auditorium of historic Lee Hall, one of MSU's Mississippi Landmark buildings.
"We are fortunate to have the benefit of Dr. Keenum's leadership in advancing higher education during this important time in the history of our university," said inaugural chair Amy Tuck.
"In light of the difficult economic times, and in keeping with Dr. Keenum's desire to focus on the core mission of the university, the event will be kept modest in scale and expense," she said. "He wants to use this occasion to increase scholarship opportunities for MSU students."
Tuck, special assistant to the president, said additional details about the ceremony are available at www.msstate.edu/web/keenum/. The site will be updated with other information, including how MSU alumni and friends can help support the scholarship initiative.
A committee is being named to coordinate the day and accompanying events, including Keenum's participation in a local Habitat for Humanity home construction project. The investiture events are designed to reaffirm his core commitments, especially to MSU students, outreach, diversity, and community engagement, Tuck observed.
Keenum became president in January, following a distinguished public service career. Prior to being selected by the College Board in November, he served as a U.S. under secretary of agriculture for two years. For many years before that, he was among the senior staff of U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), including a decade as Cochran's chief of staff.
Keenum and his wife, Rhonda, are MSU alumni. They are the parents of four children.
For more information about Mississippi State University, see http://www.msstate.edu/.