New Administrative Duties for Four African Americans in Higher Education

Derrick Gragg has been named the Combe Family Vice President for Athletics & Recreation at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. He has been serving as senior vice president for inclusion, education, and community engagement at the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Earlier, he served as athletic director at the University of Tulsa and Eastern Michigan University.

Dr. Gragg is a graduate of Vanderbilt University in Nashville, where he played football. He earned a master’s degree in sports administration from Wayne State University in Detroit and a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Arkansas.

Virginia McMath was named project manager of the TRIO/SSS program at Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois. She has been serving as assistant dean for student academic affairs at Meharry Medical College in Nashville.

Dr. McMath earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Illinois State University. She holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix and a doctorate in education from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, Tennessee.

Rudolph Ellis has been named interim vice president of student affairs at Grambling State University in Louisiana. Dr. Ellis currently serves as director of the Office of Retention at the university.

Dr. Ellis holds a bachelor’s degree in English education and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction. He earned a doctoral degree is in developmental education at Grambling State University.

Chris Robinson was appointed director of athletics at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. He has served as interim director of athletics at the university since February. He previously served as director of the Office of Recruitment at the university for eight years.

Robinson holds a bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, where he played football. He holds an MBA from Mid-America Nazarene University in Olathe, Kansas.

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