Alumni group urges Mississippi University for Women to consider Doris Taylor for president
A coalition of Mississippi University for Women alumni and Columbus residents asked the Institutions of Higher Learning board of trustees on Monday to consider biotechnology researcher Doris Taylor as the university’s next president and to disclose a timeline and details of the leadership search, the group said in a letter to the board.
The Citizens Coalition for MUW and Mississippi School for Mathematics and Sciences said in the letter that the W is at a defining moment and “demands a leader of national standing who is also a daughter of this institution.” The coalition described Taylor, a 1977 graduate, as a leading candidate who could “mobilize philanthropic capital” and engage leaders in Washington and at the state Capitol, the letter says.
The coalition noted Taylor’s faculty leadership roles at Duke University and the University of Minnesota and said she is a MUW foundation trustee, donor and alumna who could benefit the institution and the region. Taylor, founder and CEO of Organamet Bio Inc., called the endorsement an honor and said she wants to encourage other candidates to apply, adding, “MUW deserves a president that can protect it, fund it and build it,” according to the coalition.
The search follows the retirement of Nora Miller, who stepped down in June. The IHL board held listening sessions in April to gather feedback on traits for the next leader, and some speakers mentioned Sally Burchfield Doty, a 1988 MUW graduate and director of Broadband Expansion and Accessibility of Mississippi, as a potential candidate. IHL board President Steve Cunningham told Mississippi Today the board is still discussing search details and expects the search to take about three months once it is initiated; he said trustees want alumni and community residents involved. Scott Tollison, MUW’s interim president, told Mississippi Today he is focusing on transitional leadership and has not considered the permanent role.
Coalition members said the group formed partly in response to recent legislative discussion about closing or merging MUW with Mississippi State University and relocating the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Sciences. Keith Gaskin, a former Columbus mayor and coalition member, said the selection “shouldn’t be about politics, favors or friendships,” and Martha Jo Mims, a retired MUW professor, warned that a merger or closure could devastate the local economy. Jim Davidson Jr., a retired chancery court judge and coalition member, said the group is not discouraging candidates but wants trustees to hear local recommendations as the search begins.
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