After a nationwide search, Morehouse College announced Tuesday that a fellow “Morehouse Man” will serve as its 13th president.
Public health leader and biostatistician Dr. F. DuBois Bowman will take over the position on July 15, following the end of President David A. Thomas’ tenure in June.
Bowman, who currently serves as dean of the University of Michigan School of Public Health, graduated from Morehouse with a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics in 1992. He was a member of both Phi Beta Kappa and Omega Psi Phi fraternities during his time there.
“Dr. Bowman’s record of visionary leadership, his deep commitment to academic excellence, and his lifelong dedication to Morehouse make him the ideal choice to lead the College into its next era,” said Willie Woods, chairman of the Morehouse College Board of Trustees, in a Tuesday press release. “He brings an extraordinary blend of intellectual rigor, strategic thinking, and values-driven leadership.”
Morehouse called Bowman “a nationally respected scholar, innovator, and academic leader” who is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, a fellow of the American Statistical Association, and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Bowman stayed closely connected to the school over the years. Morehouse gave him the Bennie Trailblazer Award — the school’s highest award for alumni, named for its sixth president, Dr. Benjamin Elijah Mays — in 2019. He also facilitated a University of Michigan pipeline program for Morehouse and Spelman students.
“Returning to Morehouse as its 13th president is the honor of a lifetime,” said Bowman in the release. “This institution shaped who I am — instilling a commitment to excellence, justice, and impact. I am excited to partner with faculty, staff, students, alumni, and supporters to build on our legacy and write the next chapter of Morehouse’s transformative story.”
According to the HBCU, Bowman’s research has “transformed understanding of neurological and mental health disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, depression and schizophrenia.” It has also helped to shape more personalized therapeutic approaches and examine the effects that environmental factors have on brain function in youth.
In his current role at the University of Michigan, Bowman leads a school of over 1,300 students and an annual sponsored research portfolio that exceeds $100 million. He has launched initiatives that address public health safety, including firearm injury prevention, health equity and infectious disease control, during his time at the school.
Prior to his role at Michigan, Dr. Bowman was the chair of the Department of Biostatistics at Columbia University and a Biostatistics professor at Emory University.
In addition to his Morehouse degree, the educator received a Master of Science in Biostatistics from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. in Biostatistics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Bowman is married to Spelman and Georgia Tech alumnus Cynthia Bowman. The couple has four children, including a son who graduated from Morehouse in 2024 and a younger son currently enrolled at the institution.
