Distinguished Alumni

In may 2016, Dr. Charles "Chad" Allgood became the first graduate of MSU's Human Development and Family Science doctoral program with an emphasis in child development. Since then, he has pursued a sustained commitment to strengthening early childhood systems across Mississippi.

Following graduation, Allgood was director of the Bureau of Child Care Licensure at the Mississippi State Department of Health. He then transitioned to the Mississippi Department of Human Services, where he currently serves as director of the Division of Early Childhood Care and Development.

With over 25 years of early childhood education experience, Allgood has shaped policies, standards, and programs that support high-quality care and learning for Mississippi's youngest children during their most formative years.

He is a past president of the Mississippi Early Childhood Association and currently serves on the State Interagency Coordinating Council for Early Intervention and the National Association of State Child Care Administrators Affinity Group. He also co-chairs the State Early Childhood Advisory Council to the Governor of Mississippi.

For Allgood, Mississippi State remains a place of both professional growth and personal connection. He credits faculty and his fellow students with providing a rigorous, real-world learning environment that prepared him for leadership.