Masterson Named to SACSCOC Board of Trustees

Tue, 02/10/2026 - 09:16am | By: David Tisdale

Dr. Douglas Masterson, senior associate provost for institutional success at The University of Southern Mississippi, has been named to the Board of Trustees for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). His term runs through 2028.

SACSCOC is a recognized higher education accrediting body for member institutions awarding associate, baccalaureate, master’s or doctoral degrees, including those offered through distance and correspondence education and direct assessment. The organization is dedicated to improving educational quality and ensuring compliance with membership-approved standards.

Members of the SACSCOC Board of Trustees represent approximately 800 institutions. Trustee responsibilities include determining commission policy, making decisions regarding institutional accreditation and reviewing proposed changes to commission standards or dues.

“I’m honored to serve on the SACSCOC Board of Trustees and be part of its mission to advance higher education for the betterment of the students its member institutions serve,” Masterson said.

A member of the Southern Miss faculty since 2004, Masterson is a professor of chemistry and biochemistry and has served the university in several administrative capacities. He is also a member of the American Chemical Society’s Project SEED committee and is affiliated with the Society for Science, which has twice honored him with its Science Advocate Award.

In 2025, Masterson received a Fulbright International Education Administrators Award to travel to Germany and participate in programming focused on the country’s higher education sector. He was also named last year to serve as a representative of the Council on Undergraduate Research’s Chemistry Division. In 2016, the Southern Conference of Graduate Schools named him Graduate Mentor of the Year.

“Dr. Masterson is a great choice to serve on the SACSCOC Board of Trustees,” said Dr. Lance Nail, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at Southern Miss. “He’s an accomplished scholar who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this role, and we’re thrilled to have him represent Southern Miss in this way.”

Learn more about the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.