Vann R. Newkirk has been named provost and vice president for academic affairs at Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee. In this position he will oversee all academic programs and assist with the implementation of a new strategic plan for the university.
Dr. Newkirk most recently served as provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs and as a professor of history at Elizabeth City State University in North Carolina. Prior to that, he served as associate provost and dean of the graduate school at Alabama A&M University.
Upon his appointment, Dr. Newkirk said, “I believe in small private HBCU’s. I’m a product of a private HBCU. I also believe in the mission of Fisk University and the students they serve. There is a lot of life left in a university like Fisk.”
Dr. Newkirk holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from Barber-Scotia College in Concord, North Carolina, a master’s degree from Winthrop University in Rock Hill, South Carolina, a master’s degree from North Carolina Central University in Durham, and a Ph.D. in history from Howard University in Washington, D.C.
