The authority shall be composed of the following members: five members appointed by the Board from among the chief research officers of the eight institutions of higher learning, to serve at the will and pleasure of the board; the vice-president of the board during the term of his office; the Director of the Department of Economic and Community Development, or his designee; the President of the Mississippi Resource Development Corporation, a non-profit corporation organized and operating under the laws of the State of Mississippi; and the Commissioner of Higher Education as an ex-officio, non-voting member.