George Named Virgin Islands’ Sixth President

Dr. Safiya George has been appointed president of the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI).

George will be sixth to preside over the university, succeeding President Dr. David Hall in August.

Dr. Safiya George"Becoming a president has been a longstanding dream and goal for many reasons, including my love for interdisciplinary engagement and my keen ability to foster collaboration and productivity among scholars, students, staff, and others from different disciplines,” said George. “As a servant leader, I am confident I will be an effective president for the University of the Virgin Islands and will remain humble and grounded with a sincere desire to improve outcomes and the lives of students, faculty, staff, and the community.”

George has over a decade of academic and executive level organizational leadership experience. She is dean of Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing; and she has led the college's two nurse-led health centers, the Memory and Wellness Center and the Federally Qualified Health Center Look-A-Like Community Health Center.

George holds an associate degree and a bachelor’s degree in nursing from UVI as well as a master’s in nursing and a Ph.D. in nursing research from Emory University. She has held various faculty positions between Emory University and the University of Alabama, where she served as the assistant dean for research and the director of scholarly affairs at its Capstone College of Nursing.

"We are thrilled to have Dr. George join the UVI community as our new president following a rigorous selection process,” said UVI Board of Trustees Chairman Henry Smock. “Her leadership experience, visionary and innovative approach, combined with her familiarity with UVI and the local and geographic regions it serves, make her the ideal candidate to lead our institution into the future."