Albany State University (ASU) has appointed Dr. Allen P. Vital as Vice President for Strategy and University Affairs, effective Monday, March 2, 2026. Dr. Vital will serve as the University’s chief integrator of strategic planning, institutional effectiveness, and executive operations, working in close partnership with President Robert Scott, Ph.D. to advance ASU’s long-term priorities through disciplined execution and coordinated leadership.

In this cabinet-level role, Dr. Vital will translate institutional strategy into data-driven action, ensuring alignment between the President’s vision and day-to-day operations. His leadership will strengthen cross-functional collaboration across senior leadership while enhancing the University’s agility, accountability, and performance in an increasingly complex higher education environment.

Dr. Vital will provide executive oversight for Presidential Operations, University Events, the Project Management Office, Institutional Research and Effectiveness, Title III and federal program administration, and accreditation and continuous improvement initiatives. By aligning these mission-critical areas, he will foster a culture of evidence-based decision-making, institutional accountability, and continuous improvement.

Now in his third decade of higher education leadership, Dr. Vital has served in six presidential cabinets across Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Most recently, he served as Senior Advisor to the President and prior, he served as Chief of Staff for the Southern University System in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His prior leadership roles include Vice President for Marketing Communications and Advancement, and Executive Director of the Foundation at Alabama A&M University; Associate Vice President for External Resources at Xavier University of Louisiana; Foundation Manager at Alcorn State University; and Assistant to the Vice President for Administration at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

Throughout his career, Dr. Vital has provided strategic guidance to university presidents across areas including institutional advancement, crisis management and preparedness, strategic planning, program evaluation, and personnel assessment, and title III management. His leadership philosophy centers on student success, stewardship of place, and developing alternative revenue sources to strengthen institutional sustainability.

A proud product of HBCUs, Dr. Vital earned his Bachelor of Arts in History from Southern University and A&M College, a Master of Education in Community Counseling from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Higher Education from Jackson State University. He has also completed executive leadership programs at Hampton University and Harvard University and is a former U.S. Department of State Muskie Mentor Fellow and American Council on Education Fellow.

With this appointment, Albany State University reinforces its commitment to strategic discipline, institutional effectiveness, and mission-driven leadership.