Dr Sandeep Mazumder named ninth president of Berry College

Indian American professor seen as “an inspiring leader with vision, integrity and humility who will champion 21st-century growth and innovation”

By DesiMax Wire

Indian American professor Dr Sandeep Mazumder has been elected the ninth president of Berry College, a private university in the Mount Berry community adjacent to Rome, Georgia, effective July 1, 2025.

Mazumder currently serves at Baylor University in Texas as the William E. Crenshaw Endowed Dean of the nationally ranked Hankamer School of Business.

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Before assuming his role at Baylor in 2021, Mazumder served as Chair of the Department of Economics at Wake Forest University in North Carolina from 2017 to 2021, where he began his teaching career in 2009.

Mazumder feels called to Berry College because of its emphasis on educating the head, heart and hands to inspire leaders who will nurture thriving communities, according to a media release.

“It is an honor to be selected to serve as the next president of Berry College,” he said. “I would like to thank the search committee and Board of Trustees for putting their faith in me. I adore Martha Berry’s philosophy of teaching students ‘not to be ministered unto, but to minister,’ and intend to continue to champion that sentiment, as well as continuing to share Berry’s unique distinctives for the nation to see.”

“Dr. Mazumder is an inspiring leader with vision, integrity and humility who will champion 21st-century growth and innovation while honoring Berry’s legacy, entrepreneurial spirit, and deep commitment to the community,” said John Coleman, chair of the search committee and trustee.

Born and raised in London, England, Mazumder received his BA and MA in economics from the University of Cambridge and his MA and PhD in economics from Johns Hopkins University. His expertise is in macroeconomics with much of his research focusing on US inflation dynamics, including more than 30 scholarly articles.

Mazumder has extensive leadership experience in the areas of strategy, fundraising, and academic improvement. He invests in distinctive strengths, initiatives that build on an institution’s identity and allow it to function at a competitive advantage.

He emphasizes the importance of a high level of daily engagement between faculty and student, building partnerships between professional and liberal arts disciplines, and connecting the campus with community organizations to meet local needs.

“We are delighted to welcome Dr. Mazumder to Berry College” said Chairman of the Board Rick Gilbert. “He embodies a profound personal alignment with Berry and understands the challenge of balancing business-mindedness, healthy academic debate, international understanding, technological innovation, and a good neighbor mindset. It takes a special person to lead a residential college, and we believe Mazumder will immerse himself fully into the flourishing of our community.”

Mazumder is equally confident that Berry will be an ideal place for his family to flourish. His wife, Gretchen, grew up on a farm in southern Pennsylvania and they have three school-aged children. Mazumder enjoys fishing, the outdoors, sports with his children, and listening to jazz.

Mazumder will succeed President Stephen Briggs, who is retiring at the end of the 2024-2025 academic year, having served Berry since 2006.

Berry is an independent, coeducational, comprehensive liberal arts college of approximately 2,200 students. For more than a century, the college has offered an exceptional education that balances intellectual exploration, practical learning, and character development, according to the release. Its 27,000-acre campus is the world’s largest.