Christopher B. Howard

Christopher B. Howard (born February 12, 1969) is the eighth president of Robert Morris University in Moon Township, Pennsylvania, where his term started on February 1, 2016.^[1] He is a former college football running back and former United States Air Force officer.

Education[]

He is a 1987 graduate of Plano Senior High School in Plano, Texas, where he helped the 1986 football team win a Texas State Championship. Howard is a 1991 graduate of the United States Air Force Academy, earning a Bachelor of Science in political science. While at the Academy, he served as his class president and as a cadet group commander. He was selected as a First Team Academic All-American as the starting running back on the Air Force Falcons football team and awarded the inaugural Draddy Trophy in 1990 by the National Football Foundation. In 2003, he was inducted into the Academic All American Hall of Fame.^[2][3][4]

Howard was named a Rhodes Scholar, and he attended Oxford University from 1991 to 1994, earning a Master of Philosophy and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Politics. In 2003, he earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the Harvard Business School.

Military career[]

While in the Air Force, Howard served as a UH-1 “Huey” helicopter pilot and an intelligence officer. He accompanied Secretary of Defense William Cohen to Cape Town, South Africa, as a military advisor in 1998. He served with the 24th Special Tactics Squadron and earned the and NATO Medals for service in Bosnia. He is currently a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force Reserve. He was called to active duty for one year during 2003, serving as the Chief of the Human Intelligence Operations Cell in Afghanistan where he was awarded the Bronze Star.

Civilian career[]

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In 1999, Howard worked in various capacities for Bristol-Myers Squibb, serving as a manager on a $100 million HIV/AIDS initiative in southern Africa called Secure The Future.

Howard is the chairman and founder of the , a non-profit organization that provides scholarship and travel opportunities for South African students of color.^[5] He also serves on the Advisory Board of Carolina for Kibera, a non-profit that fights ethnic violence and abject poverty in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya.

Beginning in May 2003, Howard served in General Electric’s Corporate Initiatives Group where he reported to the Chief Information Officer. While working with GE, he led several initiatives, including the company's effort to expand its African businesses.

In September 2005, Howard became Associate Vice President for Strategic & Leadership Initiatives, and later Vice President at the University of Oklahoma where he also served as the Director of the Honors College Leadership Center, Associate Professor, and a President's Associates Presidential Professor. In 2009, he became president of Hampden-Sydney College, and one of the nation's youngest college presidents. After his tenure at Hampden-Sydney, Howard became president of Robert Morris University. On May 26, 2021, Howard shuttered Robert Morris University's men's and women's NCAA division 1 hockey teams.^[6]

In January 2017, it was announced that Howard was selected to be a member of the College Football Playoff Selection Committee.

Howard is also a senior advisor of Albright Stonebridge Group where he advises clients on Africa-related issues.

On January 4, 2022, it was announced that Howard will step down as Robert Morris President to become executive vice president at Arizona State University.^[7]

References[]

External links[]

• President's page at Robert Morris University