Earlier this week, Florida State University (FSU) announced the Board of Trustees unanimously voted for Richard McCullough to be the next president. The Florida Board of Governors still has to approve the selection.
McCullough currently serves as Vice Provost at Harvard University, as well as being the strategic developer for the university’s research initiatives. Specifically, the university’s website dictates his role as to ““encourage, cultivate, and coordinate high impact academic research across all of Harvard’s schools and affiliated institutions.”
Prior to Harvard, McCullough also served as former vice president for research at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA. While in Pittsburgh, McCullough was the founder of two companies: Plextronics Inc., and Liquid X Printed Metals. The former was a company founded out of Carnegie’s research and development branch, but filed for bankruptcy in 2014. Liquid X, a company manufacturing particle-free inks, is based out of Pittsburgh where McCullough still serves as Chairman.
In his interview with FSU’s search committee, McCullough said he desired to see a city like Tallahassee follow the model of Charlotte, NC., primarily focused on FSU working to prepare students that will meet workforce demands. McCullough was also asked about social movements taking place across the nation, especially among college-aged students.
“Universities need to be the place where we have those discussions and debate,” McCullough responded. “Let’s get all sides up there. Let’s get both sides on the far ends. Let’s put them together and have that discussion.”
FSU student-body President Nastassia Janvier, who is also a university trustee, said his background working in research institutions as well as fundraising ability made McCullough a great fit.
In the end, it was his personality and “fit” that was the determining factor for the trustees.
“It did seem to most people that Dr. McCullough had the right fit, the right mentality, the right personality to work best with this administration, this faculty and this group of folks at Florida State University,” said trustee Chairman Ed Burr.
Born in Mesquite, TX, McCullough has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas, Dallas, and a master’s and doctorate in chemistry from Johns Hopkins University.
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Grant Holcomb is a reporter at the Florida Capital Star and the Star News Network. Follow Grant on Twitter and direct message tips.
Photo “Richard McCullough” by Florida State University.
