Dr. Todd Shields
Dr. Todd Shields became the fourth president of the Arkansas State University System on July 1, 2026.
An academic administrator, a nationally known scholar and an unabashed champion for students, staff and faculty, Shields was most recently the fourth appointed chancellor and the 14th individual to lead Arkansas State University in Jonesboro from 2022-2026. He worked relentlessly to build partnerships with local community and industry leaders to strengthen Northeast Arkansas and create unmatched opportunities for the student population at A-State.
While leading A-State, Shields oversaw an enrollment increase of nearly 30% while launching transformative initiatives that expanded educational opportunity, strengthened workforce development and positioned the university as a driver of economic growth across Arkansas. Under his leadership, A-State introduced the Freshman to Physician Program in partnership with NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine to create a direct pathway for aspiring physicians, while reimagining the Arkansas Promise Plus Scholarship to significantly increase college affordability for Arkansas students from low-income families.
During his tenure, Arkansas State broke ground on Arkansas’ first College of Veterinary Medicine to address critical state-wide shortages in veterinary care and opened Windgate Hall of Art and Innovation, a multidisciplinary facility designed to foster collaboration among students and faculty in art, engineering, computer science and entrepreneurship.
He also led efforts to establish the Center for Advanced Materials and Steel Manufacturing, positioning A-State as a leader in applied research and talent development for the steel industry. In partnership with Arkansas Northeastern College and ASU-Newport, A-State secured competitive workforce grants to expand training opportunities across Northeast Arkansas by creating the Career Readiness Education & Skills Training (CREST) Center in Jonesboro.
Prior to joining A-State, Shields spent many years as dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and dean of the Graduate School and International Education at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. One of his signature contributions to UA was the creation of a School of Art within the college, bolstered by significant endowment gifts that funded the construction of a new campus space. Additionally, Shields played a pivotal role in establishing the Diane D. Blair Center of Southern Politics and Society, serving as its founding director.
Following his service as department chair and founding director of the Blair Center, Shields served as associate dean of the Clinton School of Public Service in Little Rock, where he helped advance graduate education focused on public leadership and service.
He began his academic career as an assistant professor in political science at Arkansas in 1994 and was promoted to associate professor in 1999. He joined the Fulbright Institute of International Relations as its associate director in 2000 and became a full professor in political science in 2005. For eight years, he also concurrently chaired the political science department at UA.
Shields has continued to pursue executive leadership development throughout his career, completing The Ohio State University’s Summer Institute for Higher Education Leadership and Harvard Business School’s Executive Education Program for university leaders.
Beyond higher education, Shields has contributed to public policy and civic leadership across Arkansas. He was appointed by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to serve on the 2022 Arkansas Women’s Commission, helping guide recommendations to improve economic opportunity and workforce participation for women across the state. Most recently he was recognized as the 2026 Rural Advocate of the Year by the Arkansas Rural Development Commission.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology in 1990 from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. He continued his education at the University of Kentucky, where he received his Master of Arts in political science in 1991 and his Ph.D. in 1994.
Shields and his wife, Karen, have two adult children – Savvy Shields Wolfe (husband Nate Wolfe) and Dane Shields (wife Katelin Shields) – and a granddaughter, Adeline Janine Wolfe.