Reynold Verret ’76

It’s a big year for Reynold Verret ’76. While he is marking 10 years as president of Xavier University of Louisiana, the university itself is commemorating 100 years since its founding.

“The centennial celebration is about remembering who we are and our legacy, and also preparing us for the future,” he says.

Xavier is one of 107 HBCUs in the United States, but it’s the only Catholic school on the list. Founded by St. Katharine Drexel in 1925, the university’s mission supports helping students learn through serving others.

“The notion of being of service binds the traditions of being both an HBCU and a Catholic institution,” Verret says. “That other-centeredness is very real.”

Verret majored in biochemistry at the College, going on to earn a Ph.D. at MIT. He was a researcher studying immune cells before transitioning to academic leadership roles. The latter included provost- ships and deanships around the country before he was appointed president at Xavier. (Though he says he misses the lab at times, he “lives vicariously” through other scientists and learning about new research.) With all of this experience, Verret understands how academic subjects intersect and can create a more holistic educational experience.

“Taking courses outside of your discipline was encouraged at Columbia, and it’s something I encourage my students to do as well,” he says.

Verret sees this cross-disciplinary approach as part of Xavier’s mission as an HBCU, as it prepares Black students for careers in which they have been underrepresented. Within U.S. higher education, Xavier is a national leader in educating Black students who go on to M.D. and other advanced STEM degree programs, and Verret is preparing to admit the first class of medical students to Xavier’s new medical school in the next few years.

“We’ve created a number of programs in fields where the representation of Black and brown folks is very low,” he says. “That representation is important because it fosters trust and helps address barriers to accessing services.”

— Emily Driehaus