Robert C. Mock, Jr. has been named president of Peru State College in Nebraska. He is slated to become the college’s thirty-second president on January 1, 2026.
According to the Department of Education’s most recent data, Peru State College enrolls nearly 1,500 undergraduate students, 10 percent of whom are Black. The college also has a small graduate population of less than 200 students.
Dr. Mock comes to his new role from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, where he has worked for the past seven years. He has held several positions at the HBCU, including vice president of strategic initiatives, chief of staff, vice president for enrollment management and student experience, and interim athletic director. Before joining the UMES administration, Dr. Mock was president of Johnson & Wales University’s Charlotte campus. Earlier, he held a variety of key leadership positions with the University of Kentucky, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
“I am deeply honored and humbled to be selected as the next president of Peru State College,” said Dr. Mock. “Peru State College has a long history of academic excellence, innovation, and service, and I am inspired by its traditions, energized by its aspirations, and eager to work alongside this extraordinary community to build on its many strengths.”
Dr. Mock is a graduate of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where he majored in engineering. He holds a master’s degree in interpersonal and organizational communication and a doctorate in higher education, both from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Dr. Mock served in the U.S. Army and the National Guard from 2002 to 2010.
