Dwaun J. Warmack, president of Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina, has received the 2025 President’s Award from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators. The annual award recognizes an outstanding college or university president or chancellor who has advanced the quality of student life on campus.
“I am immensely grateful to be selected as the winner of the 2025 NASPA President’s Award,” said Dr. Warmack. “I have a very special relationship with NASPA and the dedicated professionals who work tirelessly to achieve the organization’s mission and vision at their respective colleges and universities. Thank you, NASPA, for this amazing honor and for supporting generations of outstanding student affairs professionals.”
On August 1, 2019, Dr. Warmack became the ninth president of Claflin University, the oldest historically Black college or university in the state of South Carolina. Over the past five and a half years, he has led the institution through new strategic partnerships with other universities and significant enhancements to the campus environment. In 2023, the university received more than $17.4 million in state funding to build a Center for Innovation and Technology, greatly expanding research opportunities for both faculty and students. Last year, the HBCU opened a new $42 million student center featuring facilities such as conference rooms, retail space, administrative offices, study rooms, and more. The center serves as a central hub for both the campus and local Orangeburg community.
Before taking helm of Claflin, Dr. Warmack spent five years as president of Harris-Stowe State University, a historically Black educational institution in St. Louis, Missouri. During his tenure, the HBCU received over $24 million in external funding, created new partnerships with other organizations, increased enrollment by 34 percent, and expanded its academic offerings.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Warmack was the senior vice president of administration and student services at historically Black Bethune-Cookman University, in Daytona Beach, Florida. His background in higher education includes past leadership roles with Rhodes College in Tennessee, Western Carolina University in Cullowhee, North Carolina, and Delta State University in Mississippi.
Dr. Warmack received his bachelor’s degree in education and master’s degree in sociology from Delta State University. He holds a doctorate in educational leadership with a specialization in higher education from Union University in Jackson, Tennessee.
