“I am humbled and overjoyed to have this opportunity to help
move this University forward. I understand the awesomeness of this
responsibility,” Robinson said, accepting the nomination. “I feel very, very
fortunate to be a part of your team. I want to emphasize that our No. 1
priority will be student success – fully understanding that a key element of
our student success is the great work of our faculty and staff.”
Board Chair Kelvin Lawson underscored the collective support
from the BOT and FAMU community to name Robinson FAMU’s next permanent leader.
“We based our decision on data and followed our process
thoroughly,” Lawson said. “We all, collectively, feel good about where we are,
and we feel extremely well about our new leader – President Robinson.”
Robinson has served as the University’s interim president
since September 2016. He also serves as a distinguished professor and principal
investigator in the School of the Environment. He previously served as interim
president from July 2012 to April 2014, director of FAMU’s Environmental
Sciences Institute from 1997 to 2003, provost and vice president for Academic
Affairs from 2003 to 2005, interim president in 2007, and vice president for
Research in 2009.