Contact: Harriet Laird

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Terry Dale Cruse, the new administrative director and head of campus at Mississippi State University-Meridian, will be welcomed during a reception on Feb. 4.

Open to all, the 2-3 p.m. event will be held in the grand lobby of the MSU Riley Center, 2200 Fifth St., downtown Meridian.

The native Mississippian joins MSU-Meridian after serving two years as vice president for enrollment services at LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas. He also was Missouri Baptist College’s first vice president for enrollment services prior to his LeTourneau appointment.

Julia Hodges, MSU’s interim provost and executive vice president, said, “We are so pleased to have Dr. Cruse join MSU-Meridian. Dr. Cruse brings a wealth of experience in enrollment growth. He also has a good understanding of the community colleges in our state and will be successful in strengthening our partnerships with them. Under his leadership, MSU-Meridian will have many opportunities to become an even stronger and more vibrant part of the university.”

As MSU-Meridian’s chief administrative officer, he serves the College Park and Riley campuses, and the Riley Center. Managing approximately 500 students, with more than 100 enrolled in graduate studies, he also supervises approximately 90 faculty and staff members.

Along with his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from William Carey University, he holds a doctor of higher education administration degree from Saint Louis University.

Additionally, he is a member of the National Association for College Admissions Counselors and American Association of College Registrars and Admissions Officers. In 2011, he was selected as one of 25 participants in the Council for Independent Colleges Senior Leadership Academy.

Cruse and his wife, Pam, are the parents of three daughters.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.