Richmond is the president of Humboldt State University. Prior to his appointment in 2002, he had a distinguished career as a faculty member, researcher in evolutionary biology and acad- emic administrator. He was provost of Iowa State University from 1999-2002; was provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at State University of New York (SUNY), Stony Brook from 1995-1999; and was the dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of South Florida from 1990-1995. He served on the faculty of the Department of Biology at Indiana University in Bloomington for twenty years and also served as department chair. He was appointed to the CCST Board in 2008.

Richmond received a Ph.D. in genetics from the Rockefeller University and a bachelorís degree in zoology from San Diego State University.