Dr. Robert Scott Named President of Albany State University

The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia (USG) today named Dr. Robert Scott president of Albany State University (ASU), effective May 1, 2025. 

Dr. Scott, who holds a Ph.D. from the Georgia Institute of Technology, will return to higher education  after almost two decades working in the private sector. He is currently the president of research and development at The Kraft Heinz Co. Dr. Scott has also served in executive roles at Abbott Nutrition and The Coca-Cola Co. He spent his early career teaching and serving as an administrator at Boston College, Spelman College and Norfolk State University.

“Dr. Scott is a five-star recruit, someone with both industry expertise and academic experience who will advance Albany State’s mission and cement its impact helping students find success in today’s workforce,” USG Chancellor Sonny Perdue said. “He has experience in improving large organizations, simplifying processes and making the best use of resources. More importantly, he’s committed to fostering an environment at this important HBCU where all faculty, staff and students can thrive.”

“We’re also deeply grateful to interim President Lawrence Drake for his work to advance ASU’s commitment to student success and strengthen its engagement with the community,” Perdue said.

Dr. Scott’s appointment to the presidency follows a rigorous seven-month national search in which he was named the sole finalist. ASU has been led by Drake since July 1, 2024, following the departure of President Marion Ross Fedrick to serve as executive vice president and chief of staff to the president of Georgia State University.

“My goal as president will be to ensure that Albany State University operates at the highest level of efficiency and effectiveness and maintains financial health, all while expanding growth opportunities for students and the university,” Dr. Scott said.  “I believe that ASU is more than a great institution — it is also an amazing brand that must be cultivated and elevated.”

“Everything we do speaks to the brand of Albany State,” Dr. Scott said.  “From academic programs to athletics, student services to community engagement, alumni successes to corporate partnerships, we must ensure our actions reflect excellence, innovation and a commitment to developing the next generation of leaders. My executive accountabilities at some of the world’s largest corporations and top-tier universities have uniquely prepared me to lead ASU into a new era of recognition, growth and innovation.”

 

About Dr. Robert Scott

Born in New Jersey and raised in Suffolk, Virginia, Dr. Scott was the first in his family to attend college. He attended Norfolk State University, a historically Black university in Norfolk, Virginia, as a DNIMAS Scholar. The DNIMAS Scholar program, created through a generous gift to the university, addresses the severe shortage of minority scientists in the workforce by attracting and producing undergraduates who can complete graduate degrees in STEM. After earning a biology degree from Norfolk State, he then entered the graduate program at Georgia Tech, with a research focus in cell and molecular biology, and became the first DNIMAS Scholar to receive a Ph.D.

After receiving his Ph.D., Dr. Scott became a biology professor at Norfolk State. He later served as an associate dean at both Boston College and Spelman College. In these roles, he gained leadership experience, oversaw curriculum development, secured research funding and mentored future leaders, all while prioritizing student success.

In his most recent role at The Kraft Heinz Co., Dr. Scott worked to transform the company’s R&D organization model, departmental strategy and culture in order to drive business transformation.  Among his responsibilities, he worked to foster partnerships between corporations and universities.

“These types of industry-academia partnerships create benefits like research funding, student co-ops, internships and permanent employment placements, as well as endowed faculty positions,” Dr. Scott said.

In his time at Kraft Heinz, he led a R&D transformation that has helped the company track toward delivering an innovation growth goal of $2 billion in incremental sales, increased revenue attributed to innovation by double digits and created a culture of engagement which led to a reduction in voluntary turnover in his organization by more than 50%.

At Abbott Nutrition, Dr. Scott led a global team to deliver science and technology-based nutritional products to consumers and healthcare providers. During his tenure at The Coca-Cola Co., he led corporate teams in the United States, Europe and Asia from Atlanta and then lived abroad in Mexico to lead Coca-Cola’s Latin America R&D organization, helping to commercialize consumer-centric product innovations and packaging solutions that supported company environmental and sustainability goals. Dr. Scott also worked for Procter & Gamble as a senior scientist. In each corporate role, academic partnerships were a key enabler of his success.

About Albany State University

 Albany State University is one of three public historically Black colleges and universities in Georgia. It has a $266 million economic impact on the Albany area, fostering economic development and a strong workforce that attracts and retains large-scale employers to the region. With a legacy of more than 100 years of excellence in teaching and learning, ASU prepares students to be effective contributors to a global society, where knowledge and technology create opportunities for personal and professional success.

Founded in 1903 by Joseph Winthrop Holley as the Albany Bible and Manual Training Institute, the institution received state funding in 1917 and was later designated The Georgia Normal and Agricultural College to reflect its focus on agriculture and teacher training. It became part of the newly formed University System of Georgia in 1932, gained four-year status in 1943 as Albany State College, and expanded to offer graduate programs by 1981. In 1996, the Board of Regents granted the institution university status, renaming it Albany State University.

Today, ASU serves more than 6,800 students and offers more than 35 undergraduate degree programs, with majors including health and human performance, nursing, biology, management, criminal justice, early childhood education and psychology. ASU also offers graduate programs in multiple academic areas, including Master of Business Administration, Master of Education, Master of Science in Criminal Justice, Master of Public Administration, Master of Social Work, Master of Science in Nursing and an Educational Specialist degree.