12-05-2025
FAMU board interviews presidential search finalist, alum Rondall Allen during campus visit
As Florida A&M University begins hosting campus visits during an ongoing presidential search, finalist Rondall Allen returns to the 'Highest of Seven Hills' as the first of the candidates being interviewed by the Board of Trustees.
The FAMU alumnus comes with over 20 years of leadership experience in higher education across four different states. But he says most importantly, he's a product of his alma mater.
'I'm a son of FAMU,' Allen said May 12 during an interview with the FAMU board in the university's Grand Ballroom. He currently serves as the provost and vice president for Academic Affairs at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), where he is also a professor of pharmacy.
'When students look at me, they can see themselves,' he added. 'I've walked some of the same halls, I've stood in some of the same lines and I've sat in some of the same seats as most students.'
Allen is one of FAMU's four presidential finalists, which include University of Central Florida Senior Vice President for Administration and Finance Gerald Hector, Charter Communications' Group Vice President of State Government Affairs Marva Johnson – an ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis who is strongly disliked by many in the university community – and FAMU Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Donald Palm, who is lauded.
FAMU's presidential search comes after former President Larry Robinson stepped down last year, which led to interim President Timothy Beard stepping in to serve in the role since August for a one-year term.
But on the forefront of discussions regarding the search are circulating rumors about political influence and a lack of transparency. Despite the ongoing controversies, the hunt for FAMU's 13th leader is moving closer to its end as the university hopes to have its new president named by this summer.
Allen graduated from FAMU's College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in pharmacy before going on to earn his doctoral degree in pharmacy from Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) in 1993.
Besides serving as a current administrator and professor at UMES, Allen has also served in roles including acting vice president for Strategic Initiatives for several months and dean of the university's School of Pharmacy and Health Professions for over six years.
UMES is a public, 1890 land-grant HBCU (historically Black college or university) – similar to FAMU – and is located in Princess Anne, Maryland. It has approximately 2,900 students enrolled compared to FAMU's enrollment of nearly 10,000 students.
During Allen's interview on campus, four trustees – chair Kristin Harper, vice chair Deveron Gibbons, Nicole Washington and FAMU Student Body President Zayla Bryant – were the only board members who attended in person while the others participated virtually.
'Leading a university requires a confident and receptive administrator who can make critical decisions and pursue strategic courses of action,' Harper told Allen as she asked him to describe one of the challenges he faced during his career, how he navigated it and the results.
Allen referred to his experience of taking on a dean position at UMES during a time when the university's Physician Assistant Program was placed on probation. He says his team was able to help 'bring the program back' with three graduating classes that all had first-time pass rates over 90%.
When it comes to the university's rankings in the U.S. News and World Report, Allen's vision for FAMU consists of getting it to first place among public and private HBCUs while also getting it to the top 50 among public national universities. Currently, the university is ranked No. 3 among both public and private HBCUs – while maintaining its No. 1 place in the public category for five consecutive years – and No. 81 among the nation's public schools.
'FAMU right now needs someone who is intentional and knows how to grow the academic portfolio,' Allen said. 'We need someone who can secure strategic funding as I've done in the past. Someone who's committed to student success... making sure that our retention rates are up and making sure faculty development is in place.'
Following the four days of campus visits this week, the university's trustees will meet May 16 to vote and select a sole finalist for president. Their selection will be subject to an interview and confirmation by the Florida Board of Governors.
'As the interim president of FAMU, I and my administrative team will be committed to ensure a smooth and successful transition occurs when the 13th president is selected,' Beard said in a video clip that was rolled at the end of Allen's interview.
Following Allen's interview with the trustees are other sessions in his packed daily schedule during the campus visit, which includes meetings with students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members.
'It's an honor for me to be a finalist,' Allen said. 'FAMU molded and shaped me. The values that I have today are because of my experience here at FAMU. I want to be a part of the innovation and all the great things happening right now and that will continue to happen, and it would be a privilege for me to be able to come back and give to this institution that has given so much to me.'
Additional details about the finalists and the daily campus visit schedules can be found on FAMU's Presidential Search website at
Tarah Jean is a reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat. She can be reached at tjean@ Follow her on X: @tarahjean_.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU trustees interview presidential search finalist Rondall Allen
