Contact: Allison Matthews

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Tommy Anderson is the new dean of Mississippi State University’s Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College.

Provost and Executive Vice President David Shaw today [Nov. 9] announced that Anderson will permanently assume this role effective Nov. 16, pending formal approval by the Board of Trustees, State Institutions of Higher Learning. Anderson has served as interim dean of the honors college since January.

“The Shackouls Honors College is a hub of excellence at our university. With more than 2,500 outstanding students who comprise diverse interests and majors but have the common commitment to intellectual inquiry, Dr. Anderson will be both personable and accessible while leading the college to new heights in undergraduate research and opportunities for students to make global connections,” Shaw said.

Anderson has been viewed as a “capable” and “dedicated” leader at the university for many years. Prior to serving as interim dean of the honors college, he served as interim dean of MSU Libraries. He additionally has held the roles of associate dean of academic affairs and interim assistant dean of undergraduate affairs for MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences. A professor of English, Anderson joined MSU’s faculty in 2005 after teaching at Southern New Hampshire University. He earned Ph.D., master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Vanderbilt University, as well as an additional master’s degree from Pennsylvania State University.

“I am honored to serve Mississippi State as dean of the Shackouls Honors College. Over the past 15 years as an honors faculty member and administrator, I have had the opportunity to teach and mentor amazing honors students from every college and department on campus,” Anderson said. “I have also enjoyed working with honors faculty and staff who are dedicated to making honors education at MSU a transformative experience for our students. I am excited to be able to continue this important work to advance MSU’s mission to offer a world-class undergraduate education at MSU.”

The Shackouls Honors College offers a distinctive “Path of Honors” curriculum and gives students opportunities for personalized instruction, research, study abroad and other special programs. To learn more, visit www.honors.msstate.edu.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.