Mortimer "Mort" H. Neufville, Ph.D.

Mortimer âMortâ H. Neufville, Ph.D.

Personal Data

Jamaica native Mortimer "Mort" H. Neufville, Ph.D. has dedicated his professional life to reaching out and engaging learners on a global basis. He serves as executive vice president of the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges.

-Mortimer H. Neufville assumed the position of Director, Federal Relations - Food, Environment and International Affairs at NASULGC on January 2, 1997.

-His primary responsibility was to coordinate the activities in food, agriculture, natural resources, environmental affairs, human sciences, forestry and international affairs for the Land Grant and affiliate member institutions. On January 3, 2000, he was appointed to the position of Executive Vice President to coordinate the internal management operations in addition to his Food and Agriculture responsibilities.

-On January 3, 2006, he assumed the role of Executive Vice President on a full time basis working closely with the President on all NASUGLC (now APLU) activities.

-He retired on June 30th 2008 and began consulting with APLU, IFPRI and other International Organizations.

-On August 16, 2011 he was asked to return to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore to serve as its Interim President. He held this position until July 1, 2012 when a new president was selected.

Employment

-Neufville has served as interim president of Coppin State University (CSU) since Jan. 23, 2013. His appointment as interim president followed the news of former president Reginald Avery's announcement in October 2012 that he would resign his position at CSU.

-Dr. Neufville held a number of positions at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), (1983-96) including Vice President for Academic Affairs (1994-1996), Associate Director of the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station (1989-1994), Acting Vice President for Academic Affairs (1993-94);

-Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs (1991-93); 1980 Research Director (1983-95) and Dean of Agricultural Sciences (1983-91). During his tenure at UMES, Neufville was the project manager for the Cameroon Root and Tuber Food Crops Research Project (1986-94) funded by USAID and the Government of the Republic of Cameroon, where UMES served as a lead institution.

Awards and Honors

-In 2001 he was awarded a Distinguished Alumnus Award from the University of Florida and in that same year, he received an Honorary Doctor of Science from Tuskegee University.

-He received his B.S. degree from Tuskegee University and his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Animal Science from the University of Florida, Gainesville. He was awarded the Honorary Doctor of Science degree by Tuskegee University on February 4, 2001 and the Distinguished Alumnus Award by the University of Florida on December 15, 2001. He was inducted into the International Continuing Education Hall of Fame in 2008.

Membership-Professional Organizations

He received funding from the W K Kellogg Foundation for the implementation of the Food System Leadership Institute and the C. Peter Magrath Engagement award. Neufville also received funding from USDA/FAS for implementation of the India/US Agriculture Knowledge Initiative Capacity Building and Water Quality Projects.

He served as a member of the CGIAR/IITA Board of Trustees from 2000 - 2006 and board chair from 2002-2006. He became a member of the Board of ACDI/VOCA in 2005 and chair of the Board in 2008. He is also a member of the Board of IFDC, a member of the IFPRI Advisory Committee and the Program Steering Committee for the Agricultural Open Curriculum and Learning Initiative 2007 – 2010, and a member of the USDA/FAS India Agriculture Knowledge Initiative Advisory Board 2004 - 2009.

Publications

He began publishing in the field of animal nutrition while working toward his doctorate from the University of Florida.

Professional Interest Areas

-He has served on boards, task forces and teams for the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR);

-the Higher Education for Development (HED) advisory committee;

-the Joint Committee on Agricultural Research Development (JCARD);

-the International Science and Education Council (ISEC) and the National Academy of Sciences.

Major Contributions to Adult Education

Neufville is a nationally and internationally recognized advocate for engagement, cooperative extension, distance education and adult and continuing education. He has most effectively used his base in Washington, D.C., to promote these programs to Congress, government organizations and agencies, as well as international organizations and agencies. He has raised significant funds for the extension land grant university mission and promoted greater support for extension and research programs involving universities in the United States and in developing countries. He has also promoted the importance of engagement and extension among the nation's HBCUs, and for many years, has created opportunities for faculty at HBCUs to participate in international education and training programs throughout the world.

Interesting Facts

Throughout the difficult task of assessing the university's strengths and challenges, Dr. Neufville has brought great wisdom, insight and civility to the process. His two-year commitment to lead Coppin State will provide the continuity needed to ensure the Board's approved plan is successfully implemented in full, which will enable the university to better serve its community and the state."