Senior Leadership Team

Melinda Arnold, PhD.

Dr. Melinda Arnold was appointed Chancellor of the University of Tennessee Southern, effective July 1, 2025. She brings a deep commitment to strengthening UT Southern’s academic offerings, enhancing student success initiatives, and expanding the university’s role as a vital institution serving southern Middle Tennessee.

A seasoned higher education leader with more than 20 years of experience in academic administration and public service, Dr. Arnold most recently served as Special Assistant to the President at Texas A&M University–Texarkana, where she previously held the role of Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs. Her leadership there focused on expanding access, launching high-demand academic programs, and driving record enrollment growth while securing millions of dollars in external funding and expanding student support services.

Prior to joining TAMUT, Dr. Arnold served as Provost at Montana State University Billings, where she championed student success initiatives and achieved significant enrollment gains. Earlier in her career, she held leadership roles at the University of North Texas at Dallas, launching academic transfer pathways with community colleges across the Dallas Metroplex, and at East Texas A&M University as Associate Dean.

In addition to her higher education experience, Dr. Arnold has held executive roles in criminal justice organizations and brings extensive expertise in grant and policy development. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Criminal Justice from Rutgers University, an M.A. in Liberal Studies from Northwestern University, and a B.A. in Philosophy from the University of Texas at Austin. A published scholar on criminal justice and offender reentry, Dr. Arnold is also a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Institute for Educational Management.

She and her husband, Jeff, have three children, three grandchildren (with one on the way), and a dog, Kacey.

Email: marnold@utsouthern.edu

Related: Mission, Vision, and Values