Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Education: MAKOLA M. ABDULLAH

PRESIDENT, VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY, ETTRICK 

Education: MAKOLA M. ABDULLAH

PRESIDENT, VIRGINIA STATE UNIVERSITY, ETTRICK 

Listen to this article

Since becoming Virginia State University’s president in 2016, Abdullah has led the public HBCU to national prominence, as well as a budget surplus after the university was in debt before his tenure.

U.S. News & World Report ranked VSU in the top 30 of its Best Overall HBCUs for 2022 and it was also named HBCU of the Year in 2018 by HBCU Digest.

A graduate of Howard University, Abdullah was appointed in March to President Joe Biden’s historically Black colleges and universities advisory board, along with Norfolk State University President Javaune Adams-Gaston. In 2021, Abdullah was appointed to the national board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and a video of him playing one-on-one basketball with a student — a contest Abdullah won — went viral in March 2021.

Prior to his tenure at VSU, Abdullah worked in a variety of roles for universities in Florida. The Chicago native holds a master’s degree in civil engineering from Northwestern University.

-
YOUR NEWS.
YOUR INBOX.
DAILY.

By subscribing you agree to our Privacy Policy.