Dianna Phillips has been selected to serve as interim president of Fairmont State University in West Virginia. A search for a new president will begin in September.
Fairmont State University enrolls just under 3,600 undergraduate students and nearly 300 graduate students, according to the most recent statistics available from the U.S. Department of Education. Women make up 59 percent of the undergraduate student body.
“As a West Virginia native and granddaughter of a coal miner, higher education has made a profound impact in my life,” Dr. Phillips said. “I am honored the board has instilled their confidence in me to serve Fairmont State University as the interim president, and I look forward to continuing the wonderful work on campus alongside our faculty, staff, and students. It takes all of us to move the university forward.”
Dr. Phillips has been serving as vice president of academic affairs and provost at the university. Prior to her tenure at Fairmont State, Phillips served as the president of the Harford Community College in Bel Air, Maryland. Earlier, she was the chief executive officer of the Community College of the University of the District of Columbia.
Dr. Phillips is a graduate of National University in San Diego, where she majored in business administration. She holds a master’s degree from Buffalo State University and a doctorate in the social foundation of education from the University at Buffalo of the State University of New York System.