Dr. Joseph A. (Jay) Morgan has served as the fourteenth president of Morehead State University (MSU) since July 1, 2017. His focus at MSU has been on student success, performance outcomes, academic excellence, as well as university rankings and responsiveness to the state. Prior to service at MSU, Dr. Morgan served as the vice president for academic affairs and student success for the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education, which coordinates higher education in Kentucky. Before state-wide service at the Council, Dr. Morgan served as provost and vice president for academic affairs at Murray State University, as well as associate provost, university faculty regent, leadership program director, graduate program coordinator, and professor. He also has career service in business and as a high school teacher and coach.
Dr. Morgan holds a Ph.D. from Oklahoma State University, a B.S. and an M.S. from Murray State University, and completed a graduate track for school superintendent, as well as a certificate in management from Vanderbilt University. Dr. Morgan served as Board Chair of the Council of Presidents of the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference/ Division 1, as well as Board Chair of a football conference, among other boards. He is a former member of the board of trustees of a medical university, vice chair of a public university board, an economic development board, a bank board, and several foundation boards and state financial boards. Additionally, his former public service includes four terms as an elected member of a city council, board president of a chamber of commerce, board chair of the United Way, was formerly named Citizen of the Year, is a Rotarian, and has been involved with economic development, banking and other workforce initiatives.
He has taught, worked, and traveled in more than fifteen countries for academics, business, research, and development. Since he joined MSU, the University has broken records for private fundraising for scholarships, university graduation rates, grants and contracts, federal appropriations, and foundation endowments, achieved record highs in U.S. News and World Report rankings, and has been elevated to Carnegie Research University status and earned the Carnegie Community Engagement classification. He has led the way for a new science and engineering building, three new residence halls, a new music and business building, a veterinary science building, an applied science building, and major renovations to over ten campus buildings and athletic facilities. His tenure has marked over $400 million in campus facility improvements. Dr. Morgan notes that MSU is striving to become a Top 10 Regional University in the South by staying focused on student success, and at #12, believes MSU is well on its way.