Todd Shields’ three-decade career in higher education was a steady climb up the ladder at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, until he made a surprising move. He was named chancellor of Arkansas State University at Jonesboro just in time for the fall semester of 2022.
Educated at Miami University of Ohio and the University of Kentucky, Shields made political science his field of study. At UA, he ascended from assistant professor to professor and department chair, and ultimately to dean of the Fulbright College of Arts & Sciences, the university’s largest college.
Among his accomplishments in Fayetteville was the creation of the School of Art in the Fulbright College.
At A-State, Shields is managing a previously announced plan to create a veterinary school, now expected in the fall of 2026. He is focusing on a strategic workforce development partnership with northeast Arkansas’ booming steel industry. Ground was broken in September on the new Windgate Hall of Art & Innovation.
While higher ed administrators everywhere are jostling for market share among a shrinking number of new high school graduates, A-State announced record enrollment of 16,687 for the fall 2024 semester, a 12% increase from the previous record in the fall 2023.
“My passion lies in building cohesive and compelling teams, guiding them in pursuit of audacious goals, and celebrating their successes,” Shields said. “By fostering selfless collaboration, we will accomplish extraordinary results together.”
Among his most admired executives are UA chancellors he has worked with — Daniel Ferritor, John White and David Gearhart — and former A-State President Chuck Welch. He also called the late U.S. Sen. David Pryor a mentor and friend. “Sen. Pryor embodied the kind of leadership and kindness I strive for every day.”
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