Morgan State University (MSU) ― a Black public urban research institution headquartered in Maryland — is increasing its national profile with the recent hiring of several new university deans.
In recent weeks, the university has lured Dr. Michael G. Spencer, a well-known professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Cornell University, to be the dean of the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. School of Engineering.
MSU President David Wilson called Spencer an “accomplished educator and researcher” who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the Baltimore campus. “This appointment is a signal to everyone that Morgan intends to maintain its position as a world leader in the production of minority engineers for many more decades.”
Dr. Hongtao Yu, who served for many years as a faculty member and chair of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Jackson State University in Mississippi, has also been hired to head Morgan’s School of Computer, Mathematical and Natural Sciences.
Yu, who received the “Best Activity with Underrepresented Minority Students and/or Organizations” from the American Chemical Society, is a past president of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences.
“We are excited to have attracted someone of Dr. Yu’s caliber to lead our science programs,” said Wilson. “Our vision is to become the top research HBCU in the country over the next five to 10 years. With the recent appointment of Dr. Michael Spencer for engineering and Dr. Yu for the sciences, I believe we are closer to that goal.”
These high-level appointments are a signal that Morgan intends to strengthen and develop robust programs in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math.
