In remarks at his introduction to the Trojan Nation, Abdullah outlined his four core beliefs with the statement: “I believe in God. I believe in
family. I believe in the transformative nature of education. I believe in
Virginia State University.”
Abdullah, his wife and his mother are products of
Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Both Abdullah’s son,
Mikaili (Morehouse) and daughter Sefiyetu (Howard) will attend an HBCU.
In a departure from his HBCU heritage, Abdullah attended
Northwestern University for his master’s and doctoral studies. At 24, he became
the youngest African American in Northwestern’s history to receive a Ph.D. in
engineering.
Abdullah and his wife are both natives of Chicago. Their
children were both born and raised in Florida. “We’ll have to buy them a coat,”
he quipped.
Before coming to VSU, Abdullah served as Provost and Senior
Vice President at Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU), a private, historically
Black university in Daytona Beach, FL; Provost and Vice President for Academic
Affairs at Florida Memorial University, the only HBCU in Miami; and as Dean and
Director of 1890 Land Grant Programs in the College of Engineering Sciences,
Technology and Agriculture at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University
(FAMU). At FAMU, he enjoyed a distinguished 15-year tenure.
“Dr. Abdullah’s academic credentials are indeed impressive,
but what set him apart was his approach to higher education,” said VSU Board of
Visitors Rector and Search Committee Chair Harry Black. “In Dr. Abdullah, we
have a President who will position VSU not only to meet the challenges of
ever-changing technology, but to lead the transformation; to challenge others
to keep pace with us.”
Abdullah met with tremendous success as Provost and Senior
Vice President at B-CU. During his tenure, that university:
- Increased the number of faculty with terminal degrees by 25, a 12.5% increase. These hires helped double the number of faculty involved in research and more than doubled B-CU’s competitive research funding.
- Established the College of Undergraduate Studies and invested resources to improve academic support to increase retention and graduation rates. These investments helped the university maintain its retention rate and raise six year graduation rates
- Oversaw the expansion of online initiatives that included an increase in the number of online courses by 10% and the addition of six new, certified online degree programs
- Established innovative institutional learning outcomes and revised its core curriculum., including mandatory courses in leadership and entrepreneurship for all incoming students
- Secured new accreditation for B-CU’s Computer Engineering Program
- Helped secure more than $1 million for the support of B-CU’s new College of Health Sciences and for the Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development
- Implemented four new graduate programs to provide additional quality experiences for students
Black said that Abdullah is particularly knowledgeable of
VSU’s land-grant heritage, noting the more than $5 million in research funding Abdullah
raised as a single PI, and the more than $20 million overall he secured from
various federal agencies as a faculty member at FAMU.
Abdullah vowed to embrace his new role with both hands “in a
way you hold something precious.” He plans on engaging alumni with the same
vigor, saying “the academic excellence of an institution is defined by the
accomplishments of its alumni.”