Savannah State University, the first public historically black college or university in the state of Georgia, has named David Marshall, Ph.D., as the Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, effective July 1.

Marshall joins SSU from Morgan State University in Baltimore and has served for more than two decades in multiple capacities in higher education administration. Former positions include: department chair, dean, vice president of academic affairs and college president. Most recently, he was chair of the Department of Strategic Communication in the School of Global Journalism and Communication at Morgan.

A member of the national board of directors for PRSA, he served as president of PRSA Maryland in 2021.

“Having worked in various roles in higher education administration, Dr. Marshall understands the complexities of leading a large and diverse college,” said Dr. Sametria McFall, Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. “He brings a unique blend of experiences and expertise which makes him an ideal choice for this position, and Savannah State University is fortunate to have him join the Senior Leadership Team.”

In prior roles, Marshall was responsible for several innovative processes and growth initiatives. He successfully led reaccreditation processes and secured over $2 million in grants and private donor funding. He has been heavily involved in academic program development and curriculum review and created a plan that resulted in 96% of his college’s graduates being employed or entering graduate school in the first year of program implementation.