Philip B. Oldham joined Tennessee Tech July 1, 2012, as its ninth president. Oldham previously served as provost and senior vice chancellor of academic affairs at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, a position he had held since 2007.
He received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Freed-Hardeman University in 1980 and his doctorate in analytical chemistry from Texas A&M University in 1985. He spent a year following his graduate work as a Wellcome Research Fellow at Burroughs Wellcome Co. (Glaxo Smith-Kline) before joining the faculty at Mississippi State University in 1986. Oldham served as head of Mississippi State University’s chemistry department for five years prior to becoming MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences dean in 2001.
Along with his administrative accomplishments, Oldham has authored more than 35 peer reviewed research articles in analytical chemistry, along with two patents and approximately 100 conference presentations. His research has been financially supported by the National Science Foundation, American Chemical Society, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Geological Survey and private industry.
