Central State University has named Morakinyo A.O. Kuti, Ph.D., as its next president.
Dr. Kuti, Ph.D., a native of Nigeria and a Central State alumnus, has served since last fall as the university’s vice president for Research and Economic Development (VPRED) and director of Land-Grant Programs.
Kuti is credited with having secured over $20 million in public and private funds to enhance Central State’s physical infrastructure, enable faculty research and scholarly activities, and provide students with scholarships and experiential learning opportunities. He has administered $225 million in public and private funds since 2005.
According to the school’s website, Kuti led a multidisciplinary team of faculty and staff that increased Central State’s external awards by 227% from $20.1 million to $50.5 million in three years and increased CSU’s ranking on the National Science Foundation survey of Higher Education of Research and Development Expenditures (HERD) from 42 to 22 in three years.
Central State was the highest-ranked predominantly undergraduate HBCU on the 2021 HERD Survey.
Kuti holds a Bachelor of Science in finance from Central State University, a Master of Business Administration in finance from St. Thomas University, and a doctorate in public policy and administration from Walden University.
Dr. Alex Johnson,president emeritus of Cuyahoga Community College, has been the university’s interim president since last July, following the decision by Dr. Jack Thomas not to seek an extension of his contract. Thomas is currently on an extended sabbatical and is expected to return within the next year as a tenured faculty member.
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This story will be updated.
