WASHINGTON, D.C. — Howard College introduced that President Ben Vinson III, Ph.D. will step down because the establishment’s 18th president on August 31, 2025, concluding slightly below two years on the helm. The Board of Trustees has appointed Wayne A.I. Frederick, M.D., MBA—Howard’s seventeenth president and president emeritus—to function interim president starting September 1, 2025, whereas a nationwide search is performed for the subsequent everlasting chief.
What occurred
In an announcement shared Friday, the Board confirmed Vinson’s deliberate departure date and outlined a management transition aimed toward sustaining stability as the autumn semester begins. College officers mentioned Vinson has labored with trustees to make sure a easy handoff. Bringing again Frederick as interim leverages greater than a decade of prior presidential expertise at Howard and deep familiarity with the campus, alumni group, and key initiatives already underway.
Why this issues
Vinson’s tenure overlapped with some of the consequential milestones in Howard’s fashionable historical past: the College’s elevation to Carnegie Analysis One (R1) standing in February 2025. The designation positioned Howard among the many nation’s elite analysis establishments and affirmed years of funding in analysis infrastructure, doctoral schooling, and exterior funding. Past that recognition, Howard has highlighted latest beneficial properties in social mobility metrics and international rankings—momentum College leaders say they intend to maintain by way of the transition into the 2025–26 educational yr.
Who’s stepping in
Wayne A.I. Frederick beforehand led Howard from 2014–2023 (after serving as interim in 2013). Throughout that interval, the College superior main fundraising efforts, educational modernization, and important capital tasks. His interim time period is slated to start September 1, 2025 and proceed till the Board completes a complete nationwide search. Frederick’s return is anticipated to offer continuity for college kids, school, and workers as the brand new educational yr begins and main initiatives—together with analysis growth and campus improvement—transfer ahead.
What we all know concerning the transition
Efficient dates: Vinson’s final day is August 31, 2025; Frederick begins September 1, 2025.
Motive for departure: The College’s assertion didn’t specify a motive for the change, characterizing it as a substitute as a deliberate management transition timed with the beginning of the tutorial yr.
Subsequent steps: The Board of Trustees will have interaction stakeholders and launch a nationwide seek for a everlasting president. A proper search timeline and course of will likely be shared with the campus group.
The larger image for HBCUs
Howard’s management change arrives at a second of heightened consideration on increased schooling governance and the way forward for analysis at HBCUs. With R1 standing secured and an skilled chief stepping in on an interim foundation, Howard enters the search with sturdy analysis credentials, deep alumni help, and model power that would form the nationwide candidate pool. The College’s strategic course—spanning AI and information science, well being and life sciences, interdisciplinary analysis, and international engagement—will doubtless be central subjects as candidates define their imaginative and prescient for the subsequent decade.
What’s subsequent
College students are returning for the autumn semester, and the administration has emphasised continuity in educational applications, scholar providers, and analysis operations. Anticipate updates from the Board within the coming weeks concerning the search committee, stakeholder listening periods, and alternatives for the campus group to offer enter.
