Eight African Americans Appointed to Administrative Roles in Higher Education

Iris Jenkins has been appointed director of the research integrity and consultation program in the division of scholarly integrity and research compliance at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. She comes to Virginia Tech from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she worked with the human research protection program and the institutional animal care and use committee.

Dr. Jenkins received her master’s degree in plant pathology from the University of Arizona and her Ph.D. in neuroscience and behavior from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

James A. Felton III has been named the inaugural vice president for equity and inclusion and chief diversity officer for Fordham University in New York. Prior to his new role, he served as vice president for inclusive excellence at The College of New Jersey. Earlier in his career, he was the chief diversity officer for the State University of New York at Cortland.

Felton holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and master’s degree in education administration from McDaniel College in Maryland. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in global leadership from the Indiana Institute of Technology.

Jessica Bell Brown has been appointed executive director of the Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University. She has been with the Baltimore Museum of Art for the past five years, most recently serving as curator and head of contemporary art.

Brown is a graduate of Northwestern University in Illinois, where she majored in art history. She holds a master’s degree in modern and contemporary art from Princeton University.

Vanice L. Antrum has been appointed director of the Multicultural Student Services Center at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She comes to her new role from Salisbury University in Maryland, where she was the director of multicultural affairs in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

Antrum is a two-time graduate of Salisbury University, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in information systems and a master’s degree in education.

Shanita L. Pettaway has been named the inaugural associate dean of students for student rights and responsibilities at the University of West Florida. She previously served as a visiting assistant professor of political science and criminal justice at the University of South Alabama and as director of Title IX compliance and Title IX coordinator at the University of Arkansas.

Dr. Pettaway received her bachelor’s degree from Alabama A&M University. She holds a juris doctorate from Southern University Law Center and a master of public administration degree from Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She earned a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in the administration of higher education from Auburn University in Alabama.

Darryl W. Lunon II has been appointed senior counsel to the vice chancellor and general counsel at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He comes to his new position from the Georgia Institute of Technology, where he served as deputy general counsel and chief ethics and compliance officer for the past four years.

Lunon completed his undergraduate education through a dual-degree program, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in general science from Morehouse College and a bachelor’s degree in civil and environmental engineering from Georgia Tech. He earned his law degree from Mercer University in Georgia.

Roxanne Caesar has been promoted to assistant vice president of corporate relations at Howard University in Washington, D.C. For the past three years, she has served as Howard’s director of corporate relations. Earlier in her career, she was a senior program manager with the Executive Leadership Council.

Caesar received her bachelor’s degree in economics with a minor in business from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario.

E. D’Wayne Robinson has been promoted from deputy athletic director to director of intercollegiate athletics at Alcorn State University in Mississippi. Prior to joining the Alcorn staff, he held athletic administrative positions with Florida A&M University and Alabama A&M University.

Robinson received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry from Tougaloo College and his master’s degree in education from Alcorn State University, both in Mississippi.

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