Contact: Sammy McDavid
STARKVILLE, Miss.--The head of the business division at Mississippi State University-Meridian now is the Lauderdale County campus' new dean and executive director.
Jack E. Tucci has been selected by university President Mark Keenum. Formal approval of the appointment is expected at an upcoming meeting of the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning.
"We are happy Dr. Tucci has accepted the opportunity to lead this major unit of Mississippi State," Keenum said. "He has done an exceptional job in his previous roles and we expect him to make even greater contributions to the institution and state in the future."
In addition to leading the business division since 2003, Tucci serves as regional director for the Technology Resources Institute and the Meridian campus' State of Mississippi technology initiatives. He is a doctoral graduate of the University of North Texas.
"This has been a very good week for MSU," Keenum observed. "In addition to announcing Dr. Tucci, we have been included by the prestigious Forbes magazine among the Top 20 of its 100 best college buys in America. [For more on the Forbes listing, visit http://www.msstate.edu/web/media/detail.php?id=4636.]
"Also, MSU-Meridian has announced the addition of a bachelor's degree program in business administration, with a concentration in health care administration," Keenum said. "It is among the most popular new study concentrations being offered across the nation and will serve one of the fastest growing segments of the economy." [For more, visit http://www.meridian.msstate.edu/.]
Before coming to Mississippi, Tucci was an associate professor at Marshall University in West Virginia, Abilene Christian University in Texas and Southeastern Louisiana University. He also holds bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Texas, Permian Basin.
He was among three finalists for the newly created dual roles of dean and executive director of the 26-acre campus located at the intersection of Highway 19 North and College Drive.
Keenum expressed appreciation to search committee chair Lynne Richardson, dean of MSU's College of Business, and her committee colleagues for their months-long efforts in screening the large list of candidates.
"As Dean Richardson has said, we were overwhelmed with the quality of the 80 applicants who applied for the position," Keenum said. "We thank her and all the committee members for their hard work and dedication in helping to fill this critical and vital role."
Since being created in 1972, MSU-Meridian has grown to an enrollment of more than 800 undergraduate and graduate students. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business, National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, and Council of Social Work Education.
In addition to Lauderdale, the majority of its students come from Clarke, Jasper, Jones, Kemper, Leake, Neshoba, Newton, and Scott counties, as well as the adjacent West Alabama region.
Tucci succeeds Donna Clevinger, who is assuming teaching and other duties.