The board of visitors of Virginia State University has extended the contract of President Makola Abdullah through 2029.
“I’ve had the honor of being the president of Virginia State University since 2016, and I’m happy the board has enough confidence in me to offer me the extension,” Dr. Abdullah said. “I’m excited to do the best for the faculty, staff, and students at Virginia State.”
Dr. Abdullah became the 14th president of Virginia State University in 2016. He had been serving as provost and chief academic officer at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida. Before becoming provost at Bethune-Cookman in 2013, he held a similar position at Florida Memorial University in Miami Gardens. Earlier, he was dean of the College of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee.
Dr. Abdullah is a native of Chicago. He is a graduate of Howard University in Washington, D.C., and holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. At the time he earned his doctorate, he was the youngest African American to have ever received a Ph.D. in engineering.
