Dr. Corey Wiggins
Dr. Corey Wiggins serves as the 15th President of Tougaloo College, bringing more than two decades of leadership experience spanning higher education, public service, economic development, philanthropy, and civil rights advocacy.
Prior to joining Tougaloo, Dr. Wiggins served as Federal Co-Chairman of the Delta Regional Authority (DRA), a federal-state partnership serving 255 counties and parishes across eight states in the Mississippi Delta and Alabama Black Belt regions. Appointed by President Joseph R. Biden and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate, he led the agency’s efforts to create jobs, strengthen communities, expand workforce opportunities, and improve quality of life throughout some of America’s most economically challenged regions.
Under his leadership, the DRA invested more than $300 million across hundreds of projects, leveraging significant additional public and private investment to support economic growth, workforce development, healthcare access, infrastructure improvements, and community revitalization. Those investments helped create and retain jobs, expand training opportunities, and improve the lives of families and communities throughout the region.
Before his federal service, Dr. Wiggins served as Executive Director of the Mississippi State Conference NAACP, where he led one of the nation’s most active state civil rights organizations during a period of significant social, economic, and political change. In that role, he worked alongside community leaders, elected officials, philanthropic partners, and grassroots advocates to advance initiatives related to civil rights, educational equity, voting rights, healthcare access, economic opportunity, and criminal justice reform across Mississippi.
Dr. Wiggins also served in leadership roles with HOPE Enterprise Corporation, where his work focused on local, regional, and national policy issues designed to strengthen community development and expand economic opportunity throughout underserved communities in the Deep South. His work centered on advancing policies and partnerships that increased access to capital, supported small businesses, expanded affordable housing opportunities, and strengthened pathways to economic mobility for individuals and communities.
In addition to his executive leadership experience, Dr. Wiggins has served in higher education through academic and professional appointments at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson State University, and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. As an educator, scholar, and practitioner, he remains deeply committed to the transformative power of higher education and its role in advancing opportunity, leadership, and service.
Dr. Wiggins holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Alcorn State University, a Master of Science in Public Health with an emphasis in Health Policy from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Health Promotion jointly conferred by the University of Alabama at Birmingham and the University of Alabama. He also holds a Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership from Boston College and has completed executive leadership programs and fellowships through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, with a focus on leadership, innovation, community development, and social impact.
As President of Tougaloo College, Dr. Wiggins is committed to building upon the institution’s historic legacy while positioning the College for a strong and sustainable future. His leadership is grounded in a belief that academic excellence, operational excellence, innovation, and mission alignment are essential to preparing students to lead and serve in an increasingly complex world.
Founded in the pursuit of freedom, justice, and educational opportunity, Tougaloo’s mission continues to shape leaders who are committed to transforming their communities and society. Dr. Wiggins is honored to serve the Tougaloo community and to help lead the institution into its next chapter of impact and excellence.
Dr. Wiggins and his wife, Dr. Shenekia Wiggins, are the proud parents of three sons and are grateful to be a part of the Tougaloo community and its enduring legacy.