New Florida State President McCullough takes office

Richard McCullough named new president of Florida State University.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida State University is getting a new president Monday with Richard McCullough replacing the retiring John Thrasher.

McCullough, FSU's 16th president, had been Harvard University's vice provost for research. The university’s board of trustees unanimously selected McCullough in June after interviewing its pool of finalists.

Recommended Videos



McCullough, 62, had held his position at Harvard since 2012. McCullough was also a professor of materials science and engineering at Harvard. He has a PhD in engineering from Johns Hopkins University.

McCullough previously served as vice president for research at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. He is also co-founder and chairman of Liquid X, a company that produces particle-free ink formulas.

Thrasher, 77, had been president for almost seven years.

Located in Florida’s capital city of Tallahassee, Florida State is one of the country’s largest universities with an enrollment of about 44,000 students. Already known nationally for its sports programs, the school has been working to improve its academic stature.