LORMAN — The vigor of a young man at the top of his game caused both excitement and concern for Braves fans Tuesday.

After an all-day listening session to determine the next president of Alcorn State University at its main campus in Lorman, M. Christopher Brown II was officially given the job.

Brown, a Charleston, S.C., native, currently serves as executive vice president and provost at the historic Fisk University in Nashville, Tenn.

From 8 a.m. until 4 p.m., Brown answered questions from students, faculty, alumni and leaders from the school and community.

The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning announced its unanimous decision to hire Brown as president after receiving feedback from the various groups.

“I am certainly very excited very humbled by the entire experience and opportunity,” Brown said after the announcement.

“I am also slightly tired, and my voice not 100 percent, but it’s been a great day.”

Prior to joining the staff of Fisk University — also a historically black college — Brown served as dean of the college of education at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas, vice president for programs and administration at the American Association of Colleges for teacher education and director of social justice and professional development for the American Educational Research Association.

“He has the experience, energy and enthusiasm to move Alcorn forward, while building on its rich tradition and history,” said C.D. Smith, chair of the IHL board search committee for Alcorn’s presidential search.

“We expect great things from Dr. Brown.”

Brown said he received a lot of useful feedback and ideas at the listening session.

The greatest concern he gauged from hearing what Alcorn supporters had to say was a desire for stability at the university.

“I think the Alcorn family has had a fair share of transition, and that emotionally, administratively and financially, this (new presidential position) is a transaction we need for a while,” Brown said.

“Everyone seemed to need a sense of calm and a sense of continuity — that is a major take-away that we’ll have lots to live up to. This is a long haul decision.”

During an alumni listening session, a graduate from the class of 1963 questioned Brown about his intentions with the school.

She asked Brown, who is 38-years-old, why he wanted to commit to being the president of Alcorn since he was a young man with probably many opportunities on the horizon.

Brown admitted “in all transparency” his phone kept ringing with other job offers when the IHL announced he was the preferred candidate for the Alcorn job. Another job offer proposed twice the pay, he said.

“But I’ve never worked for money; you can ask my Mom,” Brown said.

“It’s about the relationship and family (of Alcorn), and it’s a fit.”

Brown said at minimum, he plans on remaining at Alcorn until the university’s sesquicentennial anniversary, which is 11 years from now.

“I know your concern because I’ve heard it several times, but it’s not a personal concern,” Brown said.

Brown said the presidential position at Alcorn is the first job he has applied for since 1997.

“I was intentional about it,” he said.

Brown received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from South Carolina State University and a master’s degree in educational policy and evaluation from the University of Kentucky. He holds a doctorate in higher education from Pennsylvania State University with a cognate in public administration and political science.

Brown said he hopes to take Alcorn to the forefront of his vision for Historically Black Colleges and Universities, which he called “the New South.”

He said a focus attaining excellence in existing programs, such as nursing and other applied sciences, will be priority for the university.

He said improving what already exists makes sense, especially when considering budget cuts from the state.

Brown also set a goal to fill stands at football games and encourage a school-spirited culture on campus.

He also wanted to focus on creating a winning athletic department.

“(Winning) makes alumni happy. And when alumni are happy, they say ‘yes’ when I ask them for money,” Brown said.

Brown is the author of 15 books and scholarly essays, including the most recent, “Ebony Towers in Higher Education” published in 2008, “The Broken Cisterns of African American Education” in 2009 and “The Case for Affirmative Action on Campus” in 2009.

Brown said IHL has not discussed a start date with him yet.