FAMU COO Maurice Edington named next president of University of the District of Columbia

Tarah Jean, Tallahassee Democrat
·4 min read
FAMU's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Maurice Edington.
FAMU's Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Maurice Edington.

Florida A&M University’s Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Maurice Edington — who just got promoted to the new position six months ago — has been named the next president of the University of the District of Columbia.

The announcement was made during a UDC Board of Trustees meeting Thursday following a seven-month search, and Edington’s role will officially begin Aug. 1.

With Edington’s elevation from his status as the second-highest ranked administrator of FAMU to the 10th president of UDC, another HBCU (historically Black college or university), the transition leaves FAMU with an additional leadership position to fill following a leadership restructuring plan that was introduced in November.

The university will have an internal search for an interim COO, which could possibly include a national search, according to FAMU President Larry Robinson. This comes after two searches that are currently underway — the search for a new vice president for university advancement and executive director of the FAMU Foundation as well as the search for a new provost and vice president of academic affairs.

“Maurice is deserving of this opportunity, and I’m sure he will lead with the same capacity as he has done here at FAMU,” Robinson said in a prepared statement Thursday. “We wish him well as he begins this new chapter in his career.”

FAMU President Larry Robinson speaks as the Board of Trustees holds committee meetings on Wednesday June 7, 2023.
FAMU President Larry Robinson speaks as the Board of Trustees holds committee meetings on Wednesday June 7, 2023.

More on FAMU's restructuring plan: FAMU President Larry Robinson announces immediate plans to restructure his leadership team

As Edington gets ready to lead UDC — the U.S. capital’s only public university and the only urban land-grant university in the nation — he will succeed President Ronald Mason, who has led the institution since 2015 and announced last summer that he would be stepping down next month.

UDC’s student enrollment is currently a little over 3,300 compared to FAMU’s enrollment of about 9,000 students.

The number of students enrolled at UDC has declined from 4,456 in fall 2019 ahead of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We know that a vibrant and successful UDC is essential to the District’s comeback and our city’s long-term strength,” Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said in a statement. “As we continue our work to make UDC the first choice two-year and four-year institution for D.C.’s best and brightest, we are excited to welcome Dr. Edington as the university’s next leader.”

Mayor Muriel Bowser attends Capital Pride events June 10 in Washington. Bowser seeks a third term in office.
Mayor Muriel Bowser attends Capital Pride events June 10 in Washington. Bowser seeks a third term in office.

Edington, a Berkely, California native, graduated from Fisk University with his bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1992 before earning his doctorate in physical chemistry from Vanderbilt University in 1997 and completing a postdoctoral research fellowship at Duke University in 1998.

During his 25-year career at FAMU, he took on a variety of roles, starting off as an assistant professor and making his way up to serve as chair of the Department of Chemistry from 2002 to 2008.

Over the years, additional roles of serving as the director of FAMU’s Quality Enhancement Program, the founding dean of the College of Science and Technology and vice president for Strategic Planning, Analysis and Institutional Effectiveness led him to become the university’s provost in 2018 ahead of his current COO position in December 2022.

Edington in the headlines: FAMU names Maurice Edington provost; Friday-Stroud, Barrington also promoted

“I am extremely honored and excited to be selected as the next president of the University of the District of Columbia,” Edington said in a release. “The UDC mission aligns perfectly with my personal passion and commitment to serve students, transform lives and uplift communities.”

FAMU Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Maurice Edington speaks at a press conference on campus Monday, Nov. 7, 2022.
FAMU Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Maurice Edington speaks at a press conference on campus Monday, Nov. 7, 2022.

“My vision is that UDC will be recognized as a leading HBCU, a first-choice institution for students, a top destination for employers and funding agencies and an economic driver for the district and surrounding areas,” he added.

As UDC’s new president, Edington’s goals include increasing student success and support for faculty, fundraising, degree production and enrollment, according to a UDC release.

With Edington’s first day being less than two months away, his transition from being a FAMU Rattler to a UDC Firebird comes ahead of UDC’s fall semester start date of Aug. 28.

Contact Tarah Jean at tjean@tallahassee.com or follow her on twitter @tarahjean_.

Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat using the link at the top of the page.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU COO Maurice Edington named president of UDC HBCU