MSU Education Dean Blackbourn Elected President of MACTE

Richard Blackbourn

STARKVILLE, Miss. (Press Release) — A senior Mississippi State administrator is beginning a 2-year term as president of the Mississippi Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

Richard L. Blackbourn, who has led the university’s College of Education since 2005, previously served seven years on MACTE’s executive board and two years as its president-elect.

Affiliated with the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, MACTE seeks to stimulate improvement in programs of teacher education at public and private institutions of higher education throughout the Magnolia State. Additionally, its members work to impact public policies relating to the preparation of state education professionals at all levels of service.

A Mississippi State alumnus, Blackbourn has more than 30 years in the profession. In addition to Lowndes County, Natchez and Pascagoula, he held earlier teaching and administrative posts at Northeast Louisiana and Clemson universities.

His three degrees from Mississippi State include bachelor’s and master’s degrees in elementary education in 1974 and 1976, respectively, and a doctorate in educational leadership in 1983.

In addition to MSU, MACTE includes education deans at Alcorn State and Belhaven universities, Blue Mountain College, Delta State and Jackson State universities, Millsaps and Mississippi colleges, Mississippi University for Women, Mississippi Valley State University, Rust and Tougaloo colleges, universities of Mississippi and Southern Mississippi, and William Carey University.