Murray State University’s Board of Regents selected Dr. Ron Patterson as the university’s 15th president at Monday’s special called Presidential Search Committee meeting.
In October, Murray State President Bob Jackson announced his plans to retire on June 20, 2025, after serving in the position since August 2018. Following Jackson’s announcement, the search for a new president began.
In February, the university announced four presidential finalists which included Patterson; Diana Rogers-Adkinson, the Vice Chancellor for Academic and Students Affairs at the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education; Christian Hardigree, the Regional Chancellor at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg and M. Chad Tindol, the Chief Administrative Officer at the University of Alabama.
Patterson is coming to Murray from Chadron State College in Chadron, Nebraska, where he has served as the school’s president since April 2023.
Patterson holds multiple college degrees including a doctoral degree in higher education administration and leadership from Creighton University, an education specialist degree with a concentration in community college administration at Arkansas State University and a master of arts from Marietta College.
Following a closed session at Monday’s meeting, Board of Regents Chair Leon Owens announced a motion to select Patterson as the university’s next president.
The board unanimously approved selecting Patterson to serve a four-year term as president.