The talents of executive Gary B. Crosby, Ph. D. at Alabama A&M University has caught the talent of a university that’s never quite had his representation in leadership. Crosby has not only held a leadership position at an HBCU, but he also received his master’s degree from Jackson State University. Read the full release from Saint Elizabeth University below to discover what his new role is and why it’s so significant!

Gary B. Crosby, Ph.D., vice president for student affairs at Alabama A&M University (AAMU), has been unanimously selected by the Saint Elizabeth University (SEU) Board of Trustees to serve as the institution’s eighth president. Crosby is the first African American and first male president in the University’s 121-year history.

“Saint Elizabeth University is excited to welcome Dr. Crosby to our community. His mission-driven strategic approach is an excellent fit with SEU’s legacy and the major transformation our institution has undergone over the past eight years,” said Elizabeth M. Renyi, chair of the SEU Board of Trustees. “We look forward to working with him as we continue to grow, expand and diversify through the ongoing evolution of SEU.”

Recognized for his student-centered, mission-oriented and transformational leadership, Crosby brings nearly 20 years of innovative and progressive administrative experience in higher education.

Since joining AAMU in 2015, Crosby has been directly involved in university-wide strategic planning, management and advancement through the leadership of key operations such as enrollment management (admissions and recruitment, financial aid and registrar); student support services; diversity and inclusion; and, student activities and leadership development.

While at AAMU, Crosby also played a significant role in strengthening student outcomes in humanities, STEM and business disciplines through external partnerships; chaired AAMU’s COVID-19 task force; led initiatives to significantly diversify revenue; and, redesigned the overall student experience.

“I am deeply honored to join Saint Elizabeth University as its eighth president. I thank the SEU Board of Trustees for their vote of confidence in me,” said Crosby. “I was drawn to SEU’s history of service in leadership to others, as well as its longstanding proactive commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Its focus on social justice, dating back to the institution’s founding by the Sisters of Charity of Saint Elizabeth, is more critical today than ever. I look forward to advancing the University’s mission while supporting the opportunities and programs that make SEU a place I want to call home.”

Prior to joining AAMU, Crosby served in various capacities at Jackson State University (JSU). While at JSU, he secured a multi-million dollar grant from the United States Department of Education in support of faculty and student research, leadership development, and scholarships. He also played a major role in the University’s successful reaffirmation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Crosby succeeds Helen J. Steubert, Ed.D., who will continue to lead the University until her retirement on June 30, 2021. Streubert was appointed the first lay president of then-College of Saint Elizabeth in 2013.

During her eight-year tenure, Streubert guided SEU through a period of dramatic transformation focused on continuing to provide a high-quality education to those who may not have had access to one. This included transitioning to fully coeducational in 2016 with a platform that furthered the commitment to the development of women’s leadership, the addition of health care programs and becoming a university in July 2020.

A native of Hattiesburg, Miss., Crosby holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from The University of Southern Mississippi. He also holds a master’s degree in political science and a doctorate in urban and regional planning from Jackson State University. In addition, he is a 2019-2020 American Council on Education (ACE) Fellow at Rutgers University-Newark, holds a certificate in Educational Management from Harvard University and is a 2016 Protégé of the Millennium Initiative of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).

Crosby and his wife, Larissia, are the parents of one daughter, Julia.