Damara Hightower Mitchell is the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Voorhees College in Denmark, South Carolina. Dr. Hightower Mitchell came to Voorhees in 2020 to establish the Center of Excellence for Educator Preparation and Innovation. The center provides professional learning opportunities and resources for practicing and prospective South Carolina teachers from diverse, nontraditional backgrounds and will prepare them to raise student achievement and eradicate persistent achievement gaps while also addressing systemic inequities in education. Since January, she has served as interim provost.
“I am honored to be named provost and vice president for academic affairs. It is an excellent opportunity for me to combine my passion for education and leadership to create an inclusive and engaging environment for teaching and learning at Voorhees and beyond,” Dr. Hightower Mitchell said.
Before coming to Voorhees College, Dr. Hightower Mitchell taught at Claflin University, the University of South Carolina, and Benedict College. Her scholarship and publications center on educational equity for underserved populations, educator preparation at historically Black colleges and universities, African diaspora literacy, and the intersectionality of being a mother and educator.
Dr. Hightower Mitchell is a graduate of Benedict College in Columbia, South Carolina, where she majored in English education. She holds a master’s degree in educational leadership and supervision from the University of Southern Mississippi and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from the University of South Carolina.
