Contact: Camille Carskadon
STARKVILLE, Miss.—An associate professor in Mississippi State University-Meridian’s Division of Education has been elected vice president for research and publication for the Council for the Study of Community Colleges.
Mark Fincher, who teaches as part of MSU’s community college leadership program, will work to encourage students and two-year college professionals to engage in research during his CSCC tenure. He also will oversee the organization’s annual “Dissertation of the Year” competition.
“Dr. Fincher is a leader in his field and a leader in the Division of Education. We are excited to see the great work that will come out of his commitment to enhancing higher education research, policy and practice,” said Kimberly Hall, head of the Division of Education at MSU-Meridian.
A CSCC member since 2009, he has served on the annual conference program committee. In 2017, he was responsible for organizing the conference peer-review and proposal process.
Fincher received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Stephen F. Austin State University, and his master’s in business administration and Ph.D. in higher education from the University of North Texas.
“The CSCC is the leading research organization for the study of public community and junior colleges. I ran for this office with the intention of enhancing the impact of the research produced by council members on the national debate on higher education policy and practice,” Fincher said. “I also hope to facilitate development of the next generation of higher education access-oriented researchers.”
CSCC membership is open to all professionals involved in community college education. An affiliate of the American Association of Community Colleges and a project of the Center for the Study of Community Colleges, the organization studies and promotes two-year colleges, as well as higher education access. Council members include university-based researchers and community college practitioners who further scholarship on the two-year college enterprise.
For more information, visit www.cscconline.org.
MSU is Mississippi's leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.