Noah Chism
Writer

In Columbus, Mississippi, there is an important presidential search that most outside of the university would never know about. That’s because when most people hear the phrase, our minds turn to that of the national election, prompting images of yard signs, rallies and an election day.

This is very different, but for students, faculty and alumni of The W, also very important.

There are no rallies and ballots, because this is for the future president of Mississippi University for Women.

With the Mississippi Institute of Higher Learning starting its search for a new president, at least three names have been mentioned as leading candidates for the role left behind by former president Nora Miller. Two of the three emerging candidates are alumna from The W — medical scientist Dr. Doris Taylor and former state senator Sally Burchfield-Doty. Current interim President Dr. Scott Tollison has also been mentioned as a possible candidate. So far, it is unknown if the IHL has opened the process for potential candidate submissions, but here is more information about these three possible candidates.

The first candidate to know about is Dr. Doris Taylor. She has an incredibly lengthy background in medical research that was inspired by watching her family struggle with medical issues. These experiences led her to pursue two bachelor’s degrees from The W in Biology and Physical Science before she earned a Doctorate in Pharmacology from The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Taylor has since spent time as a professor at Duke University, the University of Minnesota, as well as being with the Texas Heart Institute for a number of years. In 2009, TIME Magazine nominated her as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. Currently, she is openly positioning herself for the role of MUW president.
The second candidate is former state senator Sally Doty. Earning her undergraduate degree from The W, Burchfield-Doty subsequently earned a Juris Doctorate from Mississippi Christian University School of Law. She served in the Mississippi Senate for eight years. While in the senate, Doty was on several committees including Finance, Economic Development, Public Health and more. After she resigned from the senate, she was appointed by Gov. Tate Reeves to be the Director of the Office of Broadband, where she currently works. Burchfield-Doty's candidacy has been supported by local politicians, District 39 Rep. Dana McLean and District 17 Sen. Chuck Younger, at an IHL hearing in the spring.
The last candidate is Interim President Dr. Scott Tollison. He earned his bachelor's, master’s, and doctorate degrees from Mississippi State University. In 2004, Tollison became an instructor at The W and worked his way up, serving in many roles, including as the Dean of the College of Business and Professional Studies, until he became the Provost, which is the chief academic officer on campus. Tollison has taught various graduate and undergraduate courses in computer systems, programming, electronic commerce, and healthcare information technology. Tollison became the Interim President of the university on July 1 after Miller’s retirement.

Each of these three candidates would be an incredible choice and would steward our university well as we step into a new chapter in its history. I personally predict that Tollison will become the next president for the university. But what about you? Who do you think is the best option for The W?