Media Information Meeting

Dr. Rodney D. Smith
President and CEO

Dr. Rodney D. Smith has the distinction of serving as the first President and Chief Executive Officer of University of The Bahamas.

A Bahamian, Dr. Smith has a wealth of tertiary-level administrative experience, having served in key senior administrative leadership positions.  He has served as President of the College of The Bahamas; Vice President for Administrative Services, Operations Analysis and Research at Hampton University; President of Ramapo College; Programme Coordinator of Harvard’s Institute for Educational Management.  Dr. Smith has also served as vice president with responsibility for student affairs, administrative services, and planning; director of strategic planning, dean of the graduate college and professor in a Ph.D. programme in Educational Management.

Dr. Smith received his doctorate of education degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Education in Administration, Planning and Social Policy; a master’s degree in Education with a concentration in International Development from Harvard University; a master of arts from Fisk University in Clinical/Educational Psychology and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Saint John’s University.

Dr. Linda A. Davis
Provost

Dr. Linda A. Davis is the first Provost of the University of The Bahamas. Dr. Davis has served in various senior administrative capacities throughout her professional career in higher education.

She is a former Dean of International Programs and Partnerships at Wheelock College in Boston, Massachusetts and a former Vice President of Academic Programmes and Vice President of Research, Graduate Programmes and International Relations at UB, having acquired extensive experience in international engagements. Dr. Davis has worked within and across cultural contexts to facilitate higher education partnerships with institutions in North America, the Caribbean, United Kingdom, Africa, Asia and the Middle East.

She completed her undergraduate degree at the College of St. Benedict (St. Joseph, Minnesota), her master’s degree at University of Ottawa (Ottawa, Canada), and her doctoral degree at University of British Columbia (Vancouver, Canada).  She has also completed the Executive Training Program in Professional Education at the Harvard Institute for Educational Management (IEM).

Mr. Elgin Smith
Vice President & Chief Information Officer

As the Chief Information Officer at UB, Mr. Elgin Smith is leading the development of innovative, information technology necessary to undergird academic, research and business programmes and initiatives.

In collaboration with senior academic and administrative leaders, Mr. Smith is responsible for increased synergy and strategic direction needed to support the University’s growth and development. He maintains direct oversight for information technology operations, .BS Domain, and developing plans for business continuity, disaster recovery, contract services, and outsourcing arrangements.

He is the former Area Manager, Senior Vice President of Technology at Cititrust (Bahamas) Ltd.; Service Manager at Office Systems Bahamas Ltd. and General Business Machines Ltd. and Manager at Deloitte and Touche, having been responsible for the global management of production support, projects and controls, as well as the design, installation and support of internal communication systems.

Mr. Smith received his undergraduate education at Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science. In addition to his many professional certifications, he is a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), and a Novell Certified Netware Administrator (CNA).

Dr. Marcella Elliott-Ferguson
Vice President, Administrative Services

As the Vice President of Administrative Services, Dr. Marcella Elliott-Ferguson has oversight for the University Athletics; Financial Aid & Scholarships; Institutional Research, Risk Assessment; Admissions & Recruitment and the Registrar departments.

Dr. Elliott-Ferguson began her professional career at the former College of The Bahamas (COB) in 1986 as a faculty member in the Mathematics department. For over 30 years she has served the institution in many capacities; some of which have included Head of Mathematics department, Distance Education coordinator, member of the Appointments Board, member of the Disciplinary Board, faculty member in the School of Education, Research Advisory Board sub-committee chair and most recently Registrar.

She is a proud alumna of COB , completing an Associate of Science degree in Physics with Mathematics. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from McGill University, a Masters of Business Degree from University of Miami and a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education, also from the University of Miami.

A consultant in Mathematics Education to both public and private institutions, she also serves as a volunteer with the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Bahamas Red Cross.

Dr. Mychal Coleman
Vice President, Human Resources

Accomplished in transforming human resources departments and building strategic partnerships, Dr. Mychal Coleman is the Vice President of Human Resources who is leading recruitment, orientation, goal attainment, productivity and leadership development at UB.

Dr. Coleman’s corporate experience includes designing innovative post-merger integration HR solutions, implementing cooperative learning and change management interventions, and developing competencies-based compensation plans and organization-wide strategic initiatives.

He has served as the AVP of Human Resources at the College of Southern Maryland, where he led the award-winning redesign and transformationof the HR business model; Assistant VP of Human Resources at the University of Idaho and AVP for the Center for Strategic Initiatives & Continuous Improvement. A published researcher, Dr. Coleman is experienced at developing an employee life cycle system consisting of vision/mission socialization, talent management, performance management, organizational learning, and leadership development.

Dr. Coleman earned a Master’s degree in Industrial Relations/Human Resources Development from the University of Minnesota and later earned a Doctorate degree in Organizational Development from the University of St. Thomas.