A Change in Leadership at Florida A&M University

Tim Beard has been selected to serve as interim president of Florida A&M University. The appointment follows the recent resignation of former president Larry Robinson, who will officially step down from his role on August 4. Florida A&M University, a historically Black institution in Tallahassee, enrolls over 7,700 undergraduate and 1,500 graduate students. Black students represent about 88 percent of the undergraduate population. Dr. Beard most recently served as president of Pasco-Hernando State College in Spring Hill, Florida. He began his presidency in 2015 and served in the role until his retirement earlier this year. Over the course of his career, he has held several administrative and academic roles, including 14 years on the faculty of Florida A&M University. “Dr. Beard has the academic pedigree, administrative experience, political capital, and emotional intelligence to lead in this interim. Dr. Beard embraces FAMU’s unique mission. Like a third of our students, Dr. Beard was a first-generation college student,” said Kristin Harper, chair of the university’s Board of Trustees. “In my conversations with people who know and worked with him for many years, I’m convinced that he’s a person of integrity and a collaborator of what FAMU needs in this interim chapter. Most...