Gordon C. Cannon

Gordon C. Cannon serves as provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM). As provost, he provides oversight for all facets of academic program and enrollment management functions at all the University’s campuses and teaching sites.

With more than 40 years of experience in the areas of microbiology and biochemistry, Cannon began his career at USM within in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry after spending five years as a postdoctoral fellow at the Roche Institute of Molecular Biology. He previously served as Vice President for Research for more than a decade, including serving as the executive director of the USM Research Foundation and supervising the University’s technology incubator, The Accelerator, as well as the Trent Lott National Center for Excellence in Economic Development and Entrepreneurship. 

Cannon earned a Bachelor of Science and a Doctor of Philosophy from Clemson University. He is a Thomas Waring Bennett Distinguished Professor in the Sciences at USM and is the recipient of a Southern Miss Lifetime Achievement Award.