BECKLEY — Dr. Roslyn Clark-Artis, executive vice president of Mountain State University’s Beckley campus, has been named chief academic officer for the university.

Artis will be responsible for all curricular and programmatic academic decisions regardless of the campus or modality. All academic decisions will be centralized under her leadership to ensure consistent and high quality education for MSU’s student body.

The new structure provides that all academic deans will report directly to Artis in order to ensure all academic decisions are under the direction of one person.

An active member of the West Virginia State Bar Association, the Mountain State Bar Association and the American Bar Association, Artis practiced law with Brown & Levicoff PLLC from 1995 to 1997 and The Wooton Law Firm from 1997 to 2003 before embarking on a career in academia.

After having served as an adjunct professor for more than six years, Artis joined MSU as director of the legal studies program in 2002. In 2003, she resigned from the active practice of law and accepted an appointment to the position of senior academic officer for distance education at MSU. In this capacity she assumed responsibility for the university’s independent study and online programs as well as management of MSU’s branch campuses in Martinsburg, Orlando, Fla., and Center Township, Pa.

Subsequently, in June 2004, she was appointed to the position of provost for distance education.

Thereafter, Artis served as vice president of university advancement where she was responsible for all university fundraising efforts, corporate development, governmental, public and alumni relations.

Most recently, MSU President Charles Polk appointed Artis to the position of executive vice president of the main campus at Beckley. Her responsibilities included corporate development, governmental and public relations, alumni development and services as well as management of all academic courses and programs.

She also continues in her role as president of the Mountain State University Foundation and manages all university fundraising efforts.

Artis earned a B.A. in political science (magna cum laude) from West Virginia State University, a Doctor of Jurisprudence from West Virginia University School of Law and an Ed.D. in higher education leadership and policy from Vanderbilt University.

She is an active member of several community boards and organizations, including the United Way of Southern West Virginia (immediate past president), YMCA of Southern West Virginia, Raleigh General Hospital Board of Trustees, Mountain State Bar Association (past president) and the West Virginia Board of Law Examiners.

She is also a former member and past president of the Beckley Area Foundation Board of Directors. She is a member of St. Paul Baptist Temple, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. (past president), The Links Inc. of Southern West Virginia (president) and is a member of the Woodcliff Garden Club (past president).

Artis has traveled extensively and lectured regularly on topics from politics to personal management. In 1998, she traveled to West Africa as a part of a contingent of African American leaders to educate African women on issues education and economic empowerment.

In 1999, she was recognized by President Clinton as one of the “1000 Points of Light” in communities across the country for public service and in 2000 was recognized by the U.S. Congressional Black Caucus as “A Leader in the Making.”

More recently, Artis was recognized by the West Virginia Executive magazine as a 2008 “Young Gun.” She is also the recipient of the Martin Luther King Jr. Living the Dream Award for Community Service and has been named one of West Virginia’s 40 Under 40.

The daughter of the late Robert M. and Christina E. Clark, Artis was raised in Beckley, where she currently resides. She is the wife of Selby R. Artis and the parent of six children, Will, Wesley, Rebecca, Christopher, Jayden and Jocelyn.