Lisa Mims-Devezin has announced that she is stepping down as chancellor of historically Black Southern University in New Orleans. Her contract was set to expire at the end of 2019 and she stated that she asked that her contract not be renewed. She has asked for a six-month sabbatical and then hopes to return to the faculty.
Dr. Mims-Devezin has led the university since July 2016. At the time of her appointment, she had been serving since 2014 as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. From 2006 to 2014, she was associate dean. Dr. Mims-Devezin joined the faculty at Southern University at New Orleans in 1993 as an assistant professor of biology. She became a full professor of biology in 2010. Earlier in her career, Dr. Mims-Devezin taught at Dillard University in New Orleans.
Dr. Mims-Devezin is a graduate of Southern University at New Orleans. She earned a master’s degree in biology and a doctorate in science and mathematics education from Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge.
The Southern University System has named James Ammons as her replacement. He is executive vice president of the Southern University System and executive vice chancellor of Southern University in Baton Rouge. Dr. Ammons is the former president of Florida A&M University. He stepped down from that post in 2012, on the same day that a lawsuit was filed against the university by the parents of drum major Robert Champion who authorities say died as a result of a hazing incident.
From 2001 to 2007, Dr. Ammons led North Carolina Central University in Durham. He is a graduate of Florida A&M University, where he majored in political science. He holds a master of public administration degree and a Ph.D. in government from Florida State University.
