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By SU Public Relations

SALISBURY, MD---Dr. Michael Scott, dean of ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥’s Richard A. Henson School of Science and Technology and interim dean of SU’s College of Health and Human Services, joins more than 30 other higher education leaders from across the country as a member of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) Becoming a Provost Academy (BAPA).

The yearlong leadership development program, offered in partnership with the American Academic Leadership Institute, will take place from July 2024 to July 2025. Programming began at the AASCU 2024 Summer Meeting for Academic and Student Affairs Leaders in Denver. 

“We are proud of the successful leaders BAPA has supported since its inception,” said Terry Brown, AASCU’s vice president of Academic Innovation and Transformation. “As regional public universities address challenges, we need academic leaders who put students at the center of their decision making.”

During the program, participants learn about the expectations of the role, network with colleagues, form lasting bonds, and gain comprehensive preparation in the areas of most critical concern to higher education. Subject matter experts — including sitting provosts, presidents and chancellors — will lead seminars addressing vital topics as they weave the themes of student success, diversity, equity and inclusion into all discussions.

Scott has been a member of the SU community for more than three decades, earning his B.S. in geography from ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ in 1992 before going on to receive his M.S. and Ph.D. in the field from the University of South Carolina.

As an SU student, he also was a Henson Scholar, a program which continues today. He returned to ¾ÅÐãÖ±²¥ as an assistant professor of geography and geosciences in 1998, becoming a full professor 12 years later and dean in 2017.

In 2004, he became the founding director of the Eastern Shore Regional GIS Cooperative (ESRGC), a partnership between SU, the Upper and Mid-Shore regional councils and the Tri-County Council for the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Since then, the center has provided more than $10 million in geographic information systems mapping services for nearly 250 clients, including many government agencies.

For nine years, Scott also served as the graduate program director for the Henson School’s M.S. in Geographic Information Systems Management graduate program. 

Beyond his service to SU, Scott has presented at more than 140 conferences and other venues, and published in numerous journals, including the Annals of the Association of American Geographers, the Journal of Geography and Applied Geographic Studies.

Statewide, he has earned the University System of Maryland (USM) Regents’ Faculty Award for Excellence in public service and the USM’s prestigious Wilson H. Elkins Professorship, and is a Leadership Maryland graduate. Baltimore’s Daily Record named him a Maryland Innovator of the Year.

Learn more about SU and opportunities to Make Tomorrow Yours at the SU website.