Makola Abdullah, dean of the FAMU College of Engineering, Sciences, Technology, and Agriculture (CESTA), is leaving Tallahassee to serve as provost and vice-president for academic affairs at Florida Memorial University (FMU) in Miami. He was hired by new FMU President Henry Lewis, III, the former dean of FAMU College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.Abdullah has served as dean of CESTA since 2008. During his tenure, CESTA contributed over $75,000 to the FAMU Faculty Staff Endowment, increased enrollment to 445 students, and increased external funding to $9.5 million.
From his perspective, Abdullah expects the future of the college to be bright. “Given the commitment of a passionate faculty, staff and student base,” Abdullah commented, “I expect the college’s excellence to become even greater at the University, within the land-grant institutional community and beyond.”
Abdullah will begin his new position at FAMU on Monday, March 7, 2011.