Millsaps College names Keith Dunn as interim president, effective June 1

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Millsaps College has tapped its provost and dean to take over as interim president.

On Friday, the college announced that Dr. Keith Dunn would serve in the interim capacity, effective on June 1, 2023.

“I am grateful to our board of trustees for their faith and confidence in me, and I look forward to working with the entire community to move Millsaps forward during this time of transition,” he said in a statement.

Dunn will fill in for Dr. Rob Pearigen, who announced that he would step down on May 31. He was recently named vice-chancellor and president of the University of the South.

“Keith and I have worked closely together for twelve academic years, and throughout that time he has been a wise, caring, and dependable influence in the administration and among the faculty,” Pearigen said. “I value Keith’s trust, forward-thinking mindset, and friendship, and I’m confident he will guide the college with strength and steadiness.”

Dunn earned his B.S. from Erskine College, where he majored in chemistry and minored in music and mathematics. He has a doctorate in chemical physics from Indiana University.

Prior to joining Millsaps, he served 19 years Centre College, where he worked as a professor of chemistry and associate dean. He was named provost of Millsaps in 2017.

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