Thomas W. Cole Jr. has been interim chancellor at UMass Amherst since September, 2007.
He was the first president of Clark Atlanta University, a historically black, four-year liberal arts college, created in 1988 when Atlanta University merged with Clark College. He led the school from 1989 to 2002, when he retired and was named president emeritus.
Cole previously served as chancellor of the West Virginia Board of Regents, president of West Virginia State College, and president and CEO of Great Schools Atlanta. He holds a B.A. from Wiley College and a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Chicago.