Tougaloo College Announces Three Finalists for President

Historically Black Tougaloo College in Mississippi has announced a field of three finalists to become the fifteenth president of the educational institution. Each of the candidates will participate in forums with students, staff, faculty, and alumni. In March, one of three candidates is expected to be selected to become president.

Elfred Anthony Pinkard is the former president of Wilberforce University, a private historically Black university in Ohio. He served as president from 2018 to 2023. Earlier, he was provost and executive vice president at Wilberforce. Before coming to Wilberforce, Dr. Pinkard was the executive vice president and chief operating officer at historically Black Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, North Carolina. A native of Miami, Dr. Pinkard is a graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, where he majored in psychology. He holds a master’s degree in educational psychology from Howard University in Washington, D.C., and earned an educational doctorate from Harvard University.

Archie Tucker II is president of Push Pull Solutions, a Texas-based consulting firm focusing on higher education marketing and philanthropy. Earlier, he served as senior vice president of university advancement at the University of Texas at Tyler, where he led development, alumni relations, community engagement, and special events across five academic campuses. Prior to UT Tyler, Dr. Tucker served as vice president for marketing, communication, and advancement at historically Black Alabama A&M University. A native of Leland, Mississippi, Dr. Tucker is a graduate of Mississippi Valley State University, where he majored in business administration. He holds an MBA from Delta State University in Mississippi and a doctorate in urban higher education from Jackson State University in Mississippi.

Corey Wiggins is the federal co-chair of the Delta Regional Authority, a presidential appointee confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate. In this role, he leads an independent federal agency serving 255 counties and parishes across eight states in the Mississippi Delta and Alabama Black Belt. Prior to his federal appointment, Dr. Wiggins served as executive director of the Mississippi State Conference NAACP. A seasoned educator and thought leader, Dr. Wiggins has held faculty appointments at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson State University, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Wiggins is a graduate of Alcorn State University in Mississippi, where he majored in biology. He holds a master of public health degree and a Ph.D. in health education and promotion from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.