Feature Story
Coming Home:
New President
Hopes to Make a Big Bang at FSU
Dr. Shadow JQ Robinson sees Frostburg State University as more than his next leadership role. For the new president, it is where his personal and professional journeys converge.
Sitting in his office in the Hitchins Administration building with the hills of Mountain Maryland outside his window, Robinson reflects on what led him to Frostburg. It began in the mountains of eastern Kentucky, where he learned early that talent is everywhere, but opportunity often isn't.
“The thing that excites me most is the region that Frostburg serves,” Robinson said. “I was born and grew up in Appalachia, and the chance to serve Appalachia at a university that’s been so important to its community is very special to me.”
That sense of purpose deepened as he learned more about the University’s history, making Frostburg feel less like a career move and more like a homecoming.
He immediately connected with Frostburg’s founding and the origin story where coal miners saved up their money to buy a piece of land to help create Maryland Normal School #2. “My dad was a coal miner. His dad was a coal miner. It's the story of my family. When I think about the opportunities that my family had because of higher education and because of the sacrifices they made in the mines, the story of Frostburg is almost that same story."
Mining His Talent
Dr. Shadow JQ Robinson plays chess with admissions counselor Jen Davis.
An advanced student who was fascinated by physics from an early age, Robinson entered college while still a teenager. He earned degrees in mathematics, physics and astronomy from the University of Kentucky, and completed a doctorate in theoretical nuclear physics at Rutgers University. He later held faculty and leadership positions at the University of Southern Indiana, Millsaps College, the University of Tennessee at Martin and, most recently, the University of Arkansas Fort Smith where he served as provost.
Yet the experience that most shaped his leadership philosophy had little to do with research or administration. While serving as dean of Engineering and Natural Sciences at the University of Tennessee at Martin, Robinson attended a partnership event where a CEO shared an observation that forever changed how he viewed the role of regional public universities.
“I often refer to it as my Ratatouille moment,”, Robinson said referring to the Pixar movie about a rat who discovers his talent and passion for gourmet cooking. “A company's CEO shared a simple observation that stopped me in my tracks: Talent is equally distributed, but opportunity is not.”
The rest of the CEO’s speech faded into the background.
“I know that across rural Northwest Tennessee, rural Appalachia, Mountain Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia, you're just as likely to be talented, bright and capable of great things as someone living near a major urban center. But if my university's doing its job, you’ll have those opportunities.”
That realization has guided Robinson’s leadership style ever since.
"Regional public universities make opportunity real," he said. "We don't just award degrees; we create pathways into careers, service and leadership while strengthening the communities our students call home."
His most-recent move to Arkansas was driven by the opportunity to serve a university where more than half the students were first-generation college students. Coming to Frostburg carried that same sense of purpose.
"Frostburg is the only public university in this entire part of the state,” Robinson said. “It means so much to me that we are that source of opportunity."
Writing Frostburg's Next Chapter
Dr. Shadow JQ Robinson speaking to the campus community during a welcome event.
Looking ahead, Robinson sees tremendous potential for the campus outside his window.
His vision centers on expanding applied learning through stronger partnerships with employers, school systems, healthcare providers, nonprofit organizations and government agencies across the region. He wants every student to graduate not only with a degree, but with meaningful experiences that prepare them to lead from day one.
He is equally passionate about sharing Frostburg’s story with a broader audience.
"I think the storytelling can always be better,” he said. “Telling that story across the region and across the state is one of the opportunities I'm most excited to be a part of."
For Robinson, the University's next strategic plan is about more than setting priorities. It’s a chance for students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members to define what makes Frostburg distinctive and where it wants to be in the next five to ten years.
“What is our story? Why would people want to come to Frostburg? Who do we want to be five to ten years from now?” he said. “Really defining ourselves in a way that makes us different from other institutions in Maryland and across Appalachia is where we want to double down. Not just to be good, but to be great."
Listening Before Leading
Dr. Shadow JQ Robinson speaks to staff on a visit to the Appalachian Laboratory at FSU.
Although Robinson officially took office in July, he has spent much of that time asking questions rather than offering answers: What makes Frostburg special? What should the University become over the next decade? What are people most proud of?
The responses have left him optimistic about Frostburg’s future.
"One of the most surprising things has been how eager people are to answer those questions,” he said. “I’ve heard so many people say, ‘I’ve always wanted to have this conversation. I’ve always wanted to talk about what makes us special.’ We’re not just another regional public university. Frostburg has something unique to offer, and the different answers I’m getting tell me there’s a deep sense of pride here.”
He’s been equally struck by the University’s longstanding ties to the region, meeting alumni and employees whose families have been part of Frostburg for generations.
“The roots in these mountains run very deep,” Robinson said. “When you know you’re working for people whose families helped build this university, it’s not hard to wake up every day and want to do your best. It makes you want to try even harder.”
Showing Up
Dr. Shadow JQ Robinson poses for a picture in the Lewis J. Ort Library.
Robinson believes leadership begins with being present. He doesn't want students to know him only through campus emails or speeches. He wants them to see him in residence halls, at athletic events and performances, research presentations and throughout the community.
"Presence matters in a very deep way,” he said.
That philosophy extends beyond campus.
"If someone recognizes me in a bank lobby or a restaurant and wants to talk, I have a conversation with them,” he said. "I want to show up and be engaged. I want people to know they can always come talk to me about the university, and I want to be out there celebrating the great work our faculty, staff and students are doing.”
Partners in Frostburg's Future
Dr. Shadow JQ Robinson exploring new horizons at FSU's newly- revitalized Planetarium.
When Robinson talks about Frostburg’s future, he sees alumni as some of the University's greatest assets.
"If we've done our job as a university, our alumni should be the people most excited to tell our story. That's why we're here, to educate students and create alumni," he said. “I hope they’re some of our greatest champions and strongest supporters. They won’t just help us tell our story better, they’ll help us decide what that story needs to be.”
He believes alumni are uniquely positioned to help Frostburg adapt as industries evolve and workforce needs change.
"They’re in the workplace every day. They see where skill gaps exist and where different fields are headed. As we think about who we need to be as a university and how we prepare students for the future, our alumni are often the best people to help answer those questions.”
Beyond the President's Office
Dr. Shadow JQ Robinson and his wife, Jennifer Petrovich.
Away from meetings and strategic plans, Robinson and his wife, Jennifer Petrovich, have enjoyed exploring the region's trails, visiting state parks and browsing antique shops. He's also an avid baseball fan who freely admits to spending "way more money than I should” collecting baseball cards.
For the past two decades, Robinson has participated in National Novel Writing Month every November, writing a novel in 30 days. He has created an epic fantasy world spanning more than 10,000 fictional years. By his estimate, he's written between 1.5 and 2 million words in that universe, though almost no one has ever read them.
“And there's a map,” he said with a laugh. “Of course, there's always a map."
Of course, Robinson is an avid reader and loves different genres. "The book I've read most is The Lord of the Rings," he added. "I've read it all the way through somewhere between 30 and 40 times."
He also enjoys classical music and chess. Together with Jennifer's daughter, Dylan, and his son, Elijah, he says they’re personally writing a meaningful chapter of their story together.
Asked what he hopes Frostburg alumni take away from his first months as president, Robinson returned to the theme that has guided his leadership from the beginning: No university succeeds alone.
“I can't do it on my own,” he said. “It will take our faculty, staff, students, alumni and support from the system and the state, to make FSU all it can be. And I want people to know I’m all in.”
