Published January 21, 2025
MONROE, LA – University of Louisiana Monroe President Dr. Ron Berry has announced that he will
be stepping down as president and returning to his role as a professor. Berry made
the announcement in an email to ULM employees on Tuesday, January 21.
“It has been an honor and privilege to serve ULM in an administrative and leadership
capacity for the past 25 years. My leadership journey has been extremely rewarding,
professionally and personally, with the last four and a half years as president being
particularly so,” stated Berry.
“This last semester, I had the opportunity to teach a class of first-time freshmen
and was reminded of why I entered higher education over 30 years ago. Serving as
president has been remarkable, but I can’t think of a more rewarding experience than
working with students one-on-one to help them achieve their best life possible. This
is how I want to finish my career,” he added.
Berry has served as the ninth president of ULM since September 2020. During his time
as president, Berry has overseen the creation of a strategic plan, the building of
the HUB, and the acquisition of the Clarke M. Williams Innovation Campus, a gift from
Lumen Technologies.
Berry was also instrumental in the creation of the Centennial Scholars program, an
initiative created to improve literacy among local elementary students and to invest
in the future of ULM by granting a $500 scholarship to students who will become the
incoming freshman class of 2031, which will mark the University’s 100th anniversary.
Along with First Lady Dr. Christine Berry, President Berry created the Opportunity
Fund, a fund designed to support a wide variety of activities and projects not typically
funded through traditional budgetary means. The Opportunity Fund has awarded over
$100,000 since its inception.
Dr. Ron Berry is a two-time alumnus of ULM, earning a B.B.A. in 1988 and an M.B.A.
in 1990. He earned a Doctor of Business Administration from Mississippi State University
in 1995. He has served at ULM in various roles since 1995, including Department Head
of Computer Information Systems and, prior to his hiring as president, Dean of the
College of Business and Social Sciences.
Berry will continue to serve as President of ULM until a new president is hired and
in place. Details about the search process and timeline will be forthcoming from the
University of Louisiana System.
