Maria Thompson is a Senior Consultant at Academic Search in the Nashville Metropolitan Area. She brings extensive executive leadership experience from the higher education sector to her role in academic executive search. Most recently, she served as the President and CEO of Coppin State University for four years. Prior to her presidency, Maria was the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs at SUNY Oneonta and the Vice President for Research and Sponsored Programs at Tennessee State University. Throughout her career in university administration, she has managed complex academic operations, research initiatives, and strategic institutional growth. Maria holds a Bachelor of Science from Tennessee State University, a Master of Science from The Ohio State University, and a PhD from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.