Michael D Anthony has been chosen to serve as the 16th president of Prairie State College in Chicago Heights, Illinois. He will be the first African American to serve as president of the college.
Prairie State College enrolls about 2,700 students, according to the most recent data available from the U.S. Department of Education. African Americans make up 53 percent of the student body.
“I am honored to be given the opportunity to serve in such a prestigious and important role at the college,” said Dr. Anthony. “I am looking forward to solidifying and building relationships with our community and working alongside our dedicated faculty, staff, and colleagues. “To be the first Black male to hold this role presents a unique opportunity to help reconnect the people of this community — not only because of my race but because of my upbringing and cultural norms and through my experiences and my values. What excites me most is knowing that together we can create new changes, new opportunities, new lives for people who live here and really transform our community.”
Dr. Anthony previously served as the vice president of student affairs and enrollment management at Rochester Community and Technical College in Rochester, Minnesota. Earlier, he was the inaugural chief diversity officer at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, Illinois, and inaugural director of the Cultural Center at the University of Louisville.
Sr. Anthony holds a bachelor’s degree in business management with a concentration in marketing from North Carolina State University. He earned a master’s degree in higher education administration and a doctorate in educational leadership and organizational development from the University of Louisville.
