Mississippi State University-Meridian has announced that Associate Provost for Health Sciences David Buys from MSU’s Starkville campus has been named interim administrative head of campus for MSU-Meridian, including both the main campus in College Park and the Riley campus in downtown Meridian.

Buys is a seasoned administrator with a vision for program-building and experience in modern health sciences and outreach, according to a press release from the MSU Office of Public Affairs.

“MSU-Meridian continues to grow and evolve in our health sciences and nursing missions,” said MSU Provost David R. Shaw. “We’re grateful to our MSU staff and community partners for creating an environment that fosters a rise to the next level. We have confidence that David can bring focus and cooperation to the important task of growing MSU-Meridian to that elite level.”

Buys replaces Terry Dale Cruse, who became administrative director and head of campus at MSU-Meridian in January 2016. The release did not say if the change in leadership was effective immediately or give a reason for Cruse’s departure, and a request for more information was not returned.

A Mississippi native, Buys is the state health specialist for MSU Extension and an associate professor in the Department of Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion at MSU. Buys leads research-based public health education in Mississippi’s 82 counties with more than $16 million in federal agency funding. He has authored 57 peer-reviewed articles.

Buys completed formal training in medical sociology, health services research and epidemiology at Mississippi College, Auburn University and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is certified in public health by the National Board of Public Health Examiners and a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and the Royal Society of Public Health.