Dr. Glenn Boyce, former commissioner of the State Institutions of Higher Learning, has been named Chancellor of the University of Mississippi.

IHL’s decision to hire Boyce comes days after a short list of eight candidates, only one of whom lives in Oxford, was leaked by Mississippi Today. Those candidates were: Michael Benson, president of Eastern Kentucky University since 2013; Kelly Damphousse, chancellor of Arkansas State University since 2017; Sharon Gaber, president of the University of Toledo since 2015; Bill Hardgrave, provost and senior vice president of academic affairs at Auburn since 2018; Chris Howard, president of Robert Morris University since 2016; Cal Mayo, founding partner of Mayo Mallette PLLC in Oxford; Robert Robbins, president of the University of Arizona since 2017; and Fred Slabach, president of Texas Wesleyan University since 2011.

But who is Glenn Boyce, and what makes him the top choice over the people named on the short list?

Boyce holds a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of Mississippi, a master’s degree in education administration from Mississippi College and a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Mississippi. Boyce and his wife have three daughters and are active members of Madison United Methodist Church in Madison, according to a report from the Clarion Ledger. 

Before he was appointed commissioner over the state’s eight public universities in 2015, Boyce served as the state College Board’s associate commissioner for academic affairs. Prior to that, he was the president of Holmes Community College for nine years.

While at Holmes Community College, Boyce led the school to expand locations across its service area and open new academic, career/technical and allied health programs.

Boyce was assistant superintendent for secondary programs for the Rankin County School District and high school and attendance center principal at Northwest Rankin Attendance Center, prior to his role at Holmes.

As IHL Commissioner from 2015 to February 2018, Boyce oversaw the appointment of former UM Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter. For the current chancellor search, Boyce was hired by the UM Foundation as a paid search consultant before being hired himself.