Virginia State University names interim president

Virginia State University (VSU) on Thursday named Pamela Hammond, the provost of Hampton University, as its interim president.

Hammond’s appointment takes effect on Jan. 1. She succeeds VSU President Keith Miller who will step down on Dec. 31.

VSU, a historically black land-grant university outside Petersburg, has been buffeted by declining enrollment and financial problems.

Hammond will be the first woman to lead VSU in its nearly 133-year history.

She has served as provost at Hampton University in Hampton since 2009. As provost, she is the chief academic officer at Hampton University, which has 5,500 students and 350 faculty members in eight schools.

During her tenure as provost, the university has created a faculty mentorship program, established an online educational program and introduced 12 new academic programs, including four at the doctoral level.
Before becoming provost, Hammond was dean and professor of nursing at Hampton University.

She earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing from Tuskegee University; a master’s degree in maternal-child nursing from the University of Maryland-Baltimore; and a doctorate in urban services, with a concentration in educational leadership and health care administration from Old Dominion University.