Tue, May 16, 2023 – 3:00 p.m | By: Jim Coll
dr Lance Nail, a veteran faculty member and university administrator, has been appointed provost and senior vice president of academic affairs for the University of Southern Mississippi (USM), pending approval by the Board of Trustees of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL).
Nail, who previously served as Dean of the College of Business for USM from 2008 to 2012, is returning South after serving as Dean at Texas Tech University, San Diego State University and the University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). – Mississippi back. Since 2019, he has served as Dean of Economics and UTRGV Foundation Presidential Professor at the Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship. His expected entry date at USM is July 1, 2023.
“DR. Nail has a strong track record at every institution he has served, including driving enrollment growth, student retention, curriculum innovation, program rankings, collaboration with research companies, and faculty support,” said Dr. Joseph S Paul, President of the University “The vast majority of those I spoke to throughout the review process said that Dr Nail is the most student-centric dean they have ever worked with and I agree confident that he will lead our academic enterprise into the future while promoting student success, faculty development and and shared governance.”
As a faculty member for 26 years and an administrator for 18 years, Nail has improved academic and student success outcomes, increased program rankings, and led successful accreditation outcomes at every institution he has served. In his current role at UTRGV, he achieved successful confirmation of accreditation, increased the school’s budget by 25 percent through increased enrollment and external funding, increased total enrollment by 22 percent, and expanded the number of full-time faculty members by more than 15 percent.
At San Diego State University, Nail led Fowler College of Business to successfully confirm accreditation in business and accounting and immediately improve student success. San Diego State business students surpassed a 90 percent first-year retention rate and achieved a four-year increase in graduation rates from 49.7 percent to 55.2 percent. Nail started the Fowler Scholars Program, which focused on ethical leadership and included academic, professional and peer mentoring, leadership assessment, study abroad and paid internships. He also created the fully funded Osinski Family Women in Leadership and Entrepreneurship initiative to support women leadership and empower women in entrepreneurship.
At Texas Tech, Nail emphasized a student-centric culture that resulted in 6 percent annual enrollment growth without lowering admissions standards. He founded Rawls College’s Living Learning community to support freshman business students with a shared dorm experience and programming to foster success and belonging, and oversaw the construction of a 40,000-square-foot building expansion with more technologically advanced teaching, learning , research and more office space and a computerized testing center. In addition, he initiated a diversity and inclusion plan to recruit and retain underrepresented groups and first-generation students, increasing success rates for all students.
Among other things, he received ten teaching awards at the University of Alabama in Birmingham; He was voted one of the most influential members of the San Diego business community San Diego BusinessJournal; he received the Educational Administrator of the Year award at USM; and he has been recognized by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business for his diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging initiatives. During his time at USM, he has also raised more than $80 million for charitable causes, including the successful completion of the $10 million Building Better Business campaign.
“I am very excited to be returning to Southern Miss,” said Dr. Nails. “I love this university and the courage that characterizes the institution and its people. I look forward to working closely with faculty, staff, and students to achieve President Paul’s bold goals of advancing the University and expanding its academic and scholarly excellence. There are so few R1 public universities in the country where the community is involved and I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as the rector of this special institution.”
Nail earned his Ph.D. In 1996 he received his bachelor’s degree in finance with a minor in economics from the University of Georgia. He graduated first from the University of Alabama in his 575th year and received his bachelor’s degree in finance in 1989. His professional career began in 1989 as a consultant for Ernst & Young, LLP National Consulting Group, and his academic career began in 1996 as a faculty member at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, where he served prior to becoming Dean of the College of Business at USM in the Department of Finance, Economics and Quantitative Methods. In 2009 he was appointed Dean of USM.
“I am more than pleased with the appointment of Dr. Lance Nail as our new Provost,” said Dr. Denis Wiesenburg, Professor of Marine Sciences and President of the USM Faculty Senate. “Dr. Nail has been a distinguished Dean here at USM, where he has helped the Business School to increase research productivity. Dr. Nail has always been an advocate for students and faculty, and I believe he will continue to demonstrate those qualities as Provost at USM. The faculty senate and I congratulate him warmly and wish him all the best.”
Nail’s selection followed an extensive national search. campus visits from four finalists for the post; and chairing a university search committee composed of faculty, staff and student leaders, co-chaired by Dr. Heather Annulis, Professor of Human Capital Development and Director of the School of Leadership, and dr Derek Patton, Professor of Polymer Science and Director of the School of Polymer Science and Engineering.
“The announcement of our next Provost marks an exciting new chapter at Southern Miss in our journey to academic excellence,” said Dr. annulis. “We look forward to the leadership of Dr. Nail, who drives our culture of collaboration in teaching, research and community engagement.”
“President Paul’s election to Dr. The campus structure reflects a strategic understanding of our institution that promises to significantly improve our university. I am particularly excited by his commitment to inclusive excellence through investments in strategic staffing and faculty success initiatives, which I believe will be instrumental in supporting our Carnegie R1 research status.”
“DR. Nail’s interest in expanding our military and veterans program also speaks volumes for his innovative, community-focused leadership,” added Dr. Patton Engagements will achieve. This is indeed a transitional time for Southern Miss and I look forward to the progress we will no doubt make under Dr. Nail’s stewardship.”
As Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs, Nail is expected to lead the University’s academic programs to promote excellence in teaching, research and service. The Provost is responsible for all aspects of the university’s academic mission and directs its efforts in the pursuit of academic excellence across all campus and teaching sites.
“I would like to express my sincere appreciation to everyone who participated in the selection process over the past six months, through extensive hearing sessions, in-person visits with four finalist candidates, and feedback surveys,” said President Paul. “In particular, I would like to thank the Provost Search Committee as well as the Faculty Senate Executive Committee, board members, academic deans, and student leaders, who provided valuable input directly to me at every stage of the process.”
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