The Berry College Board of Trustees has unanimously elected Dr. Sandeep Mazumder as its ninth president, effective July 1, 2025.
Mazumder currently serves at Baylor University in Texas as the William E. Crenshaw Endowed Dean of the nationally ranked Hankamer School of Business. Before assuming his role at Baylor in 2021, Mazumder served as Chair of the Department of Economics at Wake Forest University in North Carolina from 2017 to 2021, where he began his teaching career in 2009.
Mazumder feels called to Berry College because of its emphasis on educating the head, heart and hands to inspire leaders who will nurture thriving communities.
“It is an honor to be selected to serve as the next president of Berry College,” he said. “I would like to thank the search committee and Board of Trustees for putting their faith in me. I adore Martha Berry’s philosophy of teaching students ‘not to be ministered unto, but to minister,’ and intend to continue to champion that sentiment, as well as continuing to share Berry’s unique distinctives for the nation to see.”
Mazumder’s appointment follows a rigorous nationwide search by a presidential search committee comprised of trustees along with faculty, staff, and student members, assisted by executive search firm, CarterBaldwin.
“Dr. Mazumder is an inspiring leader with vision, integrity and humility who will champion 21st-century growth and innovation while honoring Berry’s legacy, entrepreneurial spirit, and deep commitment to the community,” said John Coleman, chair of the search committee and trustee.
Born and raised in London, England, Mazumder received his B.A. and M.A. in economics from the University of Cambridge and his M.A. and Ph.D. in economics from Johns Hopkins University. His expertise is in macroeconomics with much of his research focusing on U.S. inflation dynamics, including more than 30 scholarly articles.
Mazumder has extensive leadership experience in the areas of strategy, fundraising, and academic improvement. He invests in distinctive strengths, initiatives that build on an institution’s identity and allow it to function at a competitive advantage. He emphasizes the importance of a high level of daily engagement between faculty and student, building partnerships between professional and liberal arts disciplines, and connecting the campus with community organizations to meet local needs.
“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Mazumder to Berry College” said Chairman of the Board Rick Gilbert. “He embodies a profound personal alignment with Berry and understands the challenge of balancing business-mindedness, healthy academic debate, international understanding, technological innovation, and a good neighbor mindset. It takes a special person to lead a residential college, and we believe Mazumder will immerse himself fully into the flourishing of our community.”
Mazumder is equally confident that Berry will be an ideal place for his family to flourish. His wife, Gretchen, grew up on a farm in southern Pennsylvania and they have three school-aged children. Mazumder enjoys fishing, the outdoors, sports with his children, and listening to jazz.
Mazumder will succeed President Stephen Briggs, who is retiring at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year, having served Berry since 2006.
Briggs has championed initiatives that encourage students to make the most of their college journey, by choosing firsthand experiences that are purposeful and profound. He has also been an advocate for mentored programs – cohesive groups of students that foster responsibility. Various scholarship programs enable hundreds of Berry students to work or serve their way through college, graduating at high rates with professional experience rather than debt.
