Francine Conway, a child psychologist, has been named provost and executive vice chancellor of academic affairs at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey.
A native of Guyana, Dr. Conway had been serving as dean of the Graduate School of Applied Psychology. She was the first Black scholar to hold that position. Dr. Conway joined the faculty at Rutgers in 2016. From 2008 to 2016, she was chair of the psychology program at Adelphi University in Garden City, New York. Her research is focused on the psychology of aging and on child psychopathology.
“As an immigrant, first-generation, Black female college student, I appreciated all that I received from the academy, but the truth is that universities were not always welcoming places,” Dr. Conway said. “This is why I ascribe high importance to diversity efforts in academic spaces, bolstered by systems of accountability. It takes courage for any institution to do this, but the process of undertaking this work together leads to an inclusive community in which everyone feels that they belong and everyone benefits.”
Dr. Conway is a graduate of Cornell University. She earned a master’s degree at Columbia University and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Adelphi University.
