Dr. Mark E. Keenum became Mississippi State University’s (MSU) 19th president on January 5, 2009, and he has guided his alma mater to unprecedented heights with an unwavering focus on students — preparing them for success in a rapidly changing world and instilling in them the timeless values of integrity, hard work, and respect for others. The university has experienced record growth in enrollment, fundraising and research during his tenure.

In 2018, he was named chairman of the College Football Playoff’s (CFP) Board of Managers. The CFP determines the national champion of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and is chairman of the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR).

Keenum began his professional life at MSU as a faculty member with the Extension Service and the Department of Agricultural Economics, and he continues to teach a leadership class to students in MSU’s Shackouls Honors College every fall. He went on to serve as chief of staff to Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) in Washington, D.C. and was Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture prior to returning home to Mississippi State.