The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning named Dr. Tracy M. Cook the twenty-first president of Alcorn State University in Mississippi. He has served as interim president for the past eight months.
Alcorn State University is a historically Black educational institution that enrolls about 2,500 undergraduate and 500 graduate students. Some 95 percent of the undergraduate student body identifies as Black or African American.
The appointment comes nearly a year after the Board of Trustees announced the departure of Alcorn State’s 20th and first woman President, Dr. Felecia Nave, who had served since 2019. The statement did not indicate whether Dr. Nave chose to leave or was asked to leave. Her contract was set to expire June 30.
Dr. Cook’s administrative tenure with Alcorn State University began in 2015 as chief of staff. In 2018, he was appointed interim vice president for student affairs. One year later, he was promoted to vice president for student affairs and enrollment management, a position he held until his elevation to interim president in July 2023.
Before joining the staff at Alcorn State University, Dr. Cook served in various roles, including superintendent, assistant superintendent, principal, athletic director, and teacher in the Jefferson and Claiborne County Schools.
“I am honored to have the trust and support of the board of trustees, and excited to officially lead a university that has meant so much to me personally and professionally,” Dr. Cook said. “We have a bright future ahead of us and I am committed to leading us all toward new levels of success.”
Dr. Cook holds a bachelor’s degree in agricultural economics and a master’s degree in agronomy and educational administration and supervision from Alcorn State University. He earned a doctorate in educational leadership from William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.