A new president will lead Murray State University into its next academic year.
MSU’s Board of Regents announced Monday – after more than an hour-long closed session – its decision to offer a contract to Ron K. Patterson, who currently serves as the president of Chadron State College in Nebraska.
Patterson is expected to be the far western Kentucky school’s 15th president – and its first Black president. He would bring with him 25 years of experience in higher education, including various administrative roles in admissions, enrollment and diversity, equity and inclusion programs.
Patterson – and the three other finalists for the position – visited campus this winter and participated in a town hall with MSU staff, faculty, students and community members in attendance.
During the town hall, Patterson spoke about his hope that he would be able to stay engaged with students on campus if hired.
“When I was a college student, I never saw my president until graduation,” Patterson said. “And so I make it a point to walk campus … [and] introduce myself to my students.”
In the town hall meeting, Patterson said he is a first generation student-athlete. He earned his bachelor’s in human services from the University of Tennessee Southern. Later, he received a master’s degree in education from Marietta College in 2002, followed by a doctorate from Creighton University in 2022.
A letter Patterson sent to Chadron students and community members in the wake of MSU’s announcement – obtained from Chadrad Communications Radio – confirmed that he had accepted the position. He also said that leading MSU at this point in his career “aligns with [his] personal and professional goals” and gives him the opportunity to be closer to his mother and daughter – who is attending the University of North Alabama, around a three-hour drive from the MSU campus.
The school mounted a national search for its next leader after current MSU president Bob Jackson announced his retirement in September 2024.
The search committee narrowed the application pool to 11 semifinalists and then four finalists earlier this year before making Monday’s offer to Patterson.
The school’s regents voted Monday to authorize Leon Owens, the board chair, to negotiate Patterson’s contract, which is expected to be a four-year agreement with a fiscal year salary not exceeding $400,000.
