Four African Americans Named to Diversity Posts at Colleges and Universities

Bruce B. Felder has been promoted to serve as the inaugural chief talent and diversity, equity, and inclusion officer at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. Since 2014, he has served as director of human resources at the university.

Felder earned a bachelor’s degree from Marshall University with a double major in business management and management information systems. He holds a master’s degree in strategic leadership from the now-closed Mountain State University in Beckley, West Virginia, and a master of jurisprudence degree with a concentration in labor and employment law from Tulane University in New Orleans.

Thelathia “Nikki” Young was appointed vice president for institutional equity and access at Haverford College in Pennsylvania. She will also be a professor of religion and gender and sexuality studies. Dr. Young was associate provost for equity and inclusive excellence at Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Young is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Asheville, where she majored in biology. She holds a master of theology degree, a master of divinity degree, and a Ph.D. in religion and ethics from Emory University in Atlanta.

Emanuela Kucik, an assistant professor of English and Africana studies and director of the Africana studies program at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, was given the added duties of faculty fellow for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at the college.

Dr. Kucik is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she majored in English. She holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in English from Princeton University in New Jersey.

Annie McGowan is the new vice president and associate provost for the Office of Diversity at Texas A&M University. McGowan has served in the role on an interim basis since December 2020. Earlier, she was associate dean for undergraduate programs at the university’s business school.

Dr. McGowan is a native of Port Gibson, Mississippi. She earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Alcorn State University in Mississippi and holds a master’s degree from Jackson State University and a Ph.D. from the University of North Texas.

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