Maria Thompson, the first woman president of Coppin State University in Baltimore, Maryland, has announced she will retire at the end of the academic year after overcoming recent health challenges. The university enrolls about 2,500 undergraduate students and nearly 400 graduate students, according to the latest data filed with the U.S. Department of Education. Women make up 76 percent of the undergraduate student body.
Dr. Thompson became president of Coppin State in 2015. Prior to that, she served as provost and vice president of academic affairs at the State University of New York at Oneonta from 2011 to 2015. Earlier, she spent 13 years at Tennessee State University in Nashville serving in various positions ultimately becoming vice president for research and sponsored programs.
Dr. Thompson is a graduate of Tennessee State University. She holds a master’s degree in textiles from Ohio State University and a doctorate in textile science and textile economics from the University of Tennessee.