Five African Americans Who Will Be Taking on New Administrative Roles in Higher Education

Michelle L. Webb has been named director of academic assessment at the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in Provo, Utah. She will continue to serves in her current role as director of the post-professional doctor of occupational therapy program at the university.

Dr. Webb received her doctorate in occupational therapy from the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in 2015. She also holds a doctorate in higher and postsecondary education degree from Argosy University.

Courtney J. Martin has been named director of the Yale Center for British Art. She currently serves as deputy director and chief curator of the Dia Art Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports and presents exhibitions, commissions, and site-specific installations.

Dr. Martin holds a Ph.D. in history of art from Yale University.

Deus Bazira has been appointed to establish and co-direct the Center for Global Health Practice and Impact at Georgetown University Medical Center in Washington, D.C. He most recently served as founding director of the Center for International Health, Education, and Biosecurity at the Institute for Human Virology at the University of Maryland Baltimore County.

Dr. Bazira holds a doctorate from the Gillings School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a master of public health degree in health economics from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, and a pharmacy degree from Makerere University in Uganda. He also completed post-MBA executive training at the Maastricht School of Management in the Netherlands.

Tandra Taylor has been named diversity and inclusion coordinator at Lewis and Clark Community College in Godfrey, Illinois. She also teaches African-American studies part time at Frontbonne University in St. Louis.

Taylor holds a bachelor’s degree in French from Spelman College in Atlanta, a master’s degree in public history from Georgia State University, and a master’s degree in American studies from Saint Louis University. She is currently completing a doctorate in American studies from Saint Louis University.

Jake Tanksley has been named vice president of human resources at Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. He previously served as director of staff development at Syracuse University in New York.

Tanksley is a graduate of Syracuse University where he double majored in speech communication and marketing. He is currently pursuing an executive master in public administration degree at Syracuse.