Robert J. Blaine, III, D.M.A., President, University of The Bahamas
Dr. Robert J. Blaine, III, brings a blend of visionary academic leadership, civic innovation, and transformative educational strategy to his role as the fourth President of University of The Bahamas (UB).
He assumed the presidency on 1st July 2025, following his tenure as Senior Executive and Director of the Center for Leadership, Education, Advancement, and Development (LEAD) and the Center for Municipal Practice (CMP) at the National League of Cities, based in Washington, D.C. Under his leadership, more than $55 million in grant funding was secured, and over 1,000 cities were empowered through the Local Infrastructure Hub, redistributing nearly half a billion dollars to underserved communities across the US.
With more than two decades of experience in higher education, and US municipal governance and national policy, Dr. Blaine now leads UB in advancing its mission to support national development through education, research, innovation, and service. In UB’s new era of development, implementing a quality improvement paradigm, ensuring academic programmes align with existing and emerging employment and business opportunities, and expanding research capacity and impact are key imperatives.
In his former role as Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Jackson, Mississippi, Dr. Blaine launched initiatives to promote economic mobility and early childhood education, expanded broadband access for thousands of families, and raised more than $8 million in private funding for climate resilience and community wellbeing.
In academia, Dr. Blaine served as Associate Provost and Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs at Tougaloo College, an historically black university, where he redesigned the general education curriculum to foster innovation and student autonomy. As Dean of Undergraduate Studies and Cyberlearning at Jackson State University – another historically black institution – he led a 90% reduction in textbook costs through the development of high-quality digital content, secured major grants, and spearheaded institutional transformation through technology and curriculum redesign.
Earlier in his career, in his capacity as Director of the Quality Enhancement Plan at Jackson State University, Dr. Blaine successfully led the institution through reaffirmation of accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) in 2012. His leadership enhanced student learning, supported faculty development, and produced 44 faculty-authored eTexts.
Dr. Blaine is a TEDx speaker, a Fulbright Senior Lecturing Award recipient, and was recognized as an Apple Distinguished Educator in 2013. A gifted musical conductor and a lifelong advocate for the arts, he has led international music programmes and performed at the inauguration of US President Barack Obama.
He earned a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Performance and Literature from the Eastman School of Music, University of Rochester, a Master of Music degree in Performance from the Catholic University of America, and a Bachelor of Music degree in Performance from Indiana University.
Dr. Blaine and his wife, Angela, are the proud and devoted parents of two sons, Robert Blaine IV, age 25, and Christopher Blaine, age 22. Both Dr. Blaine and Angela are Washington D.C. natives and their sons were born in Monroe, Louisiana.