UDC names scientist and HBCU leader as its new president
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Posted By: S. Moore on June 09, 2023 A scientist and senior administrator at a historically Black school will become the University of the District of Columbia’s 10th president, school officials announced Thursday. Maurice D. Edington, a physical chemist who rose from a junior faculty member to provost and now executive vice president and chief operating officer at Florida A&M University, was unanimously approved as president in a vote by UDC’s board of trustees Thursday. He is expected to start in August. “The UDC mission aligns perfectly with my personal passion and commitment to serve students, transform lives and uplift communities,” Edington said in a statement Thursday, saying he was honored and excited to take on the role. “We know that a vibrant and successful UDC is essential to the District’s comeback and our city’s long-term strength,” Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) said in a statement Thursday. “... We are excited to welcome Dr. Edington as the university’s next leader. His remarkable story is one of true perseverance, and one that so many Firebirds can identify with.” In an interview, Edington said education transformed his life, from an impoverished childhood in California to a researcher and academic leader. “Because of my personal story, I have a strong commitment to help the students change the trajectory of their lives,” Edington said. He and his brothers were taken in by his grandparents because his parents suffered from substance abuse, he said, and school provided a positive focus. “I like to learn. I like going to school,” he said. “And I just really had a desire to get out of my circumstance.” UDC officials said Edington’s track record at FAMU, where he helped improve retention and graduation rates, makes him a perfect fit for the institution. Edington will replace Ronald Mason Jr., who announced last year that he would be stepping down this summer. Mason, who is UDC’s longest-serving president, is credited with stabilizing a school that had been in financial turmoil when he took the helm, will remain a faculty member at UDC’s David A. Clarke School of Law. Significant challenges remain. UDC, an HBCU and the city’s public flagship university, has faced enrollment, financial and other struggles over the years. Its earliest roots were as a public school in 1851, and it has evolved over the generations since, taking on the UDC name and an expanded mission with the merging of several schools in the 1970s. UDC added a community college in 2009. Many of the school’s presidents have pledged to make the school more visible and draw more students, but enrollment now stands at less than 3,500. In 2010, it was nearly 6,000. Edington’s appointment is the latest college leadership transition in the District, with both Howard and George Washington universities naming new presidents this year. At FAMU, Edington has helped drive strategy and oversee academic programs. He was the founding dean of the university’s College of Science and Technology. Edington is credited with leading efforts to increase grant awards at FAMU by 100 percent, according to UDC officials, increase enrollment of first-time college students by 13 percent, and of graduate students by 10 percent. Edington earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Fisk University and his doctorate in physical chemistry from Vanderbilt University. He completed his postdoctoral studies at Duke University. His research specialty is in ultrafast laser spectroscopy. Edington said STEM fields will be important for UDC for several reasons. One is that funded research allows universities to grow, he said. Strengthening research and expanding the revenue base for the school will be goals, he said. Other priorities will include fostering student success, increasing enrollment, awarding more degrees, increasing academic offerings, meeting the workforce needs of the district and the region, and raising the school’s profile. He also said that he is passionate about outreach and that he hopes to find opportunities to help low-income communities in the city and to partner with K-12 schools. “We are excited to have someone of President-Elect Edington’s caliber to continue UDC’s trajectory of educational excellence, enrollment enhancement and expanded research opportunities,” said Christopher D. Bell, chairman of the school’s board of trustees, in a statement Thursday. “Dr. Edington’s academic and leadership acumen, fundraising abilities, and passion for supporting students and faculty make him uniquely qualified to guide the University of the District of Columbia to the next level.” SOURCE The Washington Post If you enjoyed this article, Join HBCU CONNECT today for similar content and opportunities via email! |
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