A-State News

Dr. Calvin White Jr. Appointed Chancellor of Arkansas State University

October 1, 2026Arkansas State University — International Admissions

Dr. Calvin White Jr. (left), chancellor of Arkansas State University, and Ike Wheeler (right), chancellor of ASU-Newport

On 28 September 2026, at a special meeting, the Arkansas State University System Board of Trustees approved the recommendation of System President Dr. Todd Shields to appoint Dr. Calvin White Jr. as chancellor of Arkansas State University (the Jonesboro campus) and Ike Wheeler as chancellor of ASU-Newport.

Both had been serving in an interim capacity. Dr. White, formerly A-State’s executive vice chancellor and provost, had been interim chancellor since July 2026, when Dr. Shields was named system president. Mr. Wheeler had served as interim chancellor of ASU-Newport since August 2025.

“These appointments provide strong leadership and continuity at two institutions with tremendous opportunities ahead. Calvin has helped shape A-State’s recent growth in enrollment, academics, research and workforce development, and he has a clear vision for where the university can go next.” — Dr. Todd Shields, ASU System President

Who the new chancellor is

As provost since 2023, Dr. White was the university’s chief academic officer. He led the Office of Academic Affairs and Research — the institution’s largest division, spanning the academic colleges, the Arkansas Biosciences Institute, A-State Heritage Sites and museums, and the ROTC regiment.

According to the university, during his time leading academic affairs:

A-State launched Arkansas’ first College of Veterinary Medicine, which opened in fall 2026.
Fall enrollment grew to 18,775 students, and annual enrollment reached 23,430. More on the fall 2026 enrollment record.
The university strengthened research and workforce development.

Dr. White is a first-generation college student. He becomes the first African American to serve as chancellor of A-State, having also been the university’s first African American provost.

A native Arkansan, he is a historian whose research focuses on the African American experience in the Arkansas and Mississippi Delta, with multiple publications and numerous teaching and mentorship awards, including the Fulbright College Master Teacher Award. He was a fellow in the SEC Academic Leadership Program, has lectured at the University of Sussex in England and presented research at the University of Mainz in Germany. He holds a Ph.D. in history from the University of Mississippi and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Central Arkansas.

“It is an extraordinary privilege to serve as chancellor of Arkansas State University. A-State has incredible momentum, and I look forward to working alongside our faculty, staff, students, alumni and supporters to build on that momentum, expand opportunity and continue moving this university forward.” — Dr. Calvin White Jr.

ASU-Newport: Ike Wheeler

ASU-Newport is the system’s two-year community college, established in 2001, with campuses in Newport, Jonesboro and Marked Tree and serving 4,994 students annually. Mr. Wheeler has been associated with the college for more than 30 years, seeing it grow from a small technical college of 600 students into a three-campus institution. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Arkansas State University. He succeeds Dr. Johnny Moore, who announced in July 2025 that he would leave to become president of Rust College.

What this means for students from Vietnam

For anyone considering A-State, the key word is continuity. The new chancellor is the person who has led the university’s academic side for the past three years — the period in which A-State set enrollment records and opened its veterinary college — while the former chancellor now leads the whole system. The direction you read about, in research, new programs and admissions, remains in the hands of the people who started it.