Savannah State University (SSU) recently announced that Dr. Mohamad Mustafa will step in as SSU’s new Interim Provost and Chief Academic Officer as of Sept. 1, 2024 replacing Dr. Richard Miller, who had served as Interim Provost for the past year.

Dr. Mustafa will oversee all academic affairs to include faculty development and coordination with students, staff, faculty and the board of regents to support initiatives that ensure student success.

“I am grateful for Dr. Miller’s leadership, and I thank him for his wisdom, guidance and support over the past year,” said SSU Interim President Cynthia Alexander. “I am looking forward to watching Dr. Mustafa continue our commitment to enhancing our campus environment and fostering an atmosphere of innovation, collaboration and excellence in service to our students.”

Dr. Mustafa has been a member of the SSU family for more than 30 years, serving as the Dean of the College of Science and Technology for the last seven years. His research and scholarship interests focus on Civil Engineering structures, and he has been the principal investigator on several grants totaling millions of dollars in awards. Dr. Mustafa recently graduated from the University System of Georgia’s Executive Leadership Institute.

During the next year, Dr. Mustafa plans to focus on reaffirming several current accreditations and meeting the requirements to obtain some new accreditations for the university, equipping faculty to incorporate artificial intelligence into the curriculum and encouraging the increased use of high-impact practices such as involving students in undergraduate research and internships.

“The success of these initiatives will enhance the reputation of SSU not only as a good choice, but as the first choice,” Mustafa said. “I am looking forward to optimizing our processes to ensure we are working efficiently for the betterment of our students and our community. I want our faculty, staff and students to feel a sense of belonging to our institution. It is extremely important that we work as one if we are to achieve these goals.”

Dr. Teresa Shakespeare, Chair of the Biology department, will be Interim Dean for the College of Science and Technology during Dr. Mustafa’s tenure as interim Provost. Dr. Takayuki Nitta, in turn, will take over as Interim Chair of the Biology department during this period.

“Thank you to all of the faculty and staff for their dedication and hard work in making Savannah State University the best it can be,” Alexander said. “We are grateful for the opportunity to have utilized this time to recognize internal talent and promote from within. This is an exciting time for SSU, and I am so grateful to have so many dedicated team members that prioritize student success and continue to work in excellence.”