Altheia Richardson, assistant vice president for strategic diversity leadership at Clemson University in South Carolina, has received the Outstanding Dissertation Award from the National Association of Diversity Officers in Higher Education (NADOHE). The award recognizes a completed dissertation that has contributed substantially to the literature and the field of diversity and inclusion in higher education.
The title of Richardson’s dissertation was The Impact of Interlocking Systems of Oppression on the Leadership and Decision-Making Experiences of Black Women in Executive-Level Leadership Positions at Predominantly White Public Research Institutions in the U.S. The findings and related implications provide a resource for all predominantly White public research institutions in the U.S. on ways they can better recruit and retain Black women at the executive levels of their institutions.
“It was indeed a great honor to be given this award by my professional association. NADOHE is a national organization committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion issues. Knowing that all dissertations submitted were required to center on these types of issues, I knew the competition for the award would be significant,” said Dr. Richardson. “Considering all the sacrifices I had to make to earn my doctorate made this recognition all the more meaningful.”
Dr. Richardson added that “when I accepted the award, I knew I did so on behalf of all the amazing Black women who took the time to share their stories with me for my dissertation. I hope that any interest in my dissertation that is sparked by me winning this award will only serve to elevate their voices even more.”
Dr. Richardson is a graduate of the University of South Carolina. She has served on the staff at Clemson University for 30 years. She holds an MBA and an educational doctorate from Clemson University.
Congratulations Dr. Richardson!!Well done.