Chancellor, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff
Pine Buff, Arkansas
Dr. Laurence B. Alexander has served for eight years as Chancellor of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, a public historically black land-grant research university that offers degrees in more than 40 programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, and Ph.D. levels, including extension services provided through a variety of programs in its School of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Human Sciences. Prior to joining UAPB, Alexander had a distinguished 22-year career as a professor and administrator at the University of Florida, the state’s land-grant flagship research institution that is a member of the Association of American Universities. He joined the UF faculty in 1991 as an assistant professor and rose through the academic ranks to become a tenured full professor in the UF College of Journalism and Communications. While at UF, Alexander served as a Distinguished Teaching Scholar, Provost Administrative Fellow in the Office of Academic Affairs, Director of the Office of Graduate Minority Programs, Associate Dean of the 12,000-student Graduate School, and Chair of the Department of Journalism. He was selected as the 12th UF Distinguished Alumni Professor, was named a UF Research Foundation Professor, and was inducted into the UF Academy of Distinguished Teaching Scholars.
His current community engagement includes service on the Board of Trustees of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts, the Board of Directors of Jefferson Regional Medical Center, and the Board of the Economic Development Alliance for Jefferson County, Arkansas. He also serves as Vice Chair of the NCAA Division I Presidential Forum and Chair of the Southwestern Athletic Conference Council of Presidents and Chancellors. A native of New Orleans, Alexander earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Orleans, a master’s degree in Journalism and Communications from the University of Florida, a Juris Doctor from Tulane University, and a Ph.D. in Higher Education from Florida State University.