Dr. Mark E. Keenum became Mississippi State University’s 19th president on Jan. 5, 2009, following a distinguished public service career in which he served as Chief of Staff to the late U.S. Senator Thad Cochran in Washington, D.C., and as Under Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. During Keenum’s tenure, Mississippi State has completed or initiated capital improvements of $1.1 billion including student housing, dining and recreational space, athletic facilities, research and classroom facilities including a public Partnership School, a convention and conference center, and a U.S. presidential library. Keenum’s leadership fostered record enrollment growth and generated more than $1 billion in private support. He chairs the College Football Playoffs Board of Managers and is a former president of the Southeastern Conference.