Florida A&M University Interim President Larry Robinson announced Tuesday that he has appointed long-time dean in the School of Architecture Rodner Wright as the new interim provost and vice president for Academic Affairs.
Robinson called him “a thoughtful and astute leader who is in tune with the academic tenor of this university.”
Wright has been dean and a member of the faculty of the FAMU School of Architecture since August 1996.
During this same period, he has been an active board member of the Florida Association of the American Institute of Architects and the Tallahassee Chapter.
From 1998-2001, he served on the National Architectural Accrediting Board, first as vice president and then as president.
Since 1995, he has served on and/or chaired more than 16 accrediting and candidacy visits combined including a candidacy visit to American University of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates in 2008.
“I am clearly committed to this university and the success of our students,” Wright was quoted as saying. “I look forward to working with faculty, students, staff and Interim President Robinson as we all work to pursue academic excellence.”
Robinson was provost until recently when FAMU’s Board of Trustees officially named him the interim president. Trustees also officially began the search for a full replacement to President James H. Ammons, who resigned in July.
Wright has chaired and served on numerous campus-wide committees at all levels. Most notably, he chaired the Organizational Analysis Taskforce consisting of more than 30 faculty and administrators, which contributed significantly to the university’s academic restructuring plan implemented in July 2011.
Currently, he is the chair for the director of the Marching and Pep Bands Search Committee.
Prior to coming to FAMU, he spent 11 years as a member of the faculty at Mississippi State University School of Architecture. While there he taught design and architectural delineation.
Additionally, he served first as academic advisor, and then as associate dean. In 1992, he became the first African American to serve as president of the Mississippi Chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
He is a native of Pittsburgh, Penn. and holds a B.S. degree in design from the University of Cincinnati, College of Design, Architecture and Art and a M. Arch from Harvard University, Graduate School of Design.
Andrew Chin, who served as assistant dean of Architecture Programs, will serve as interim dean of the School of Architecture.