Three Black Professors Selected for Dean Positions at Universities

Brian Brown has been promoted from interim dean to permanent dean of the School of Business at Virginia Commonwealth University.

In 2011, Dr. Brown began his career at VCU as an assistant professor of marketing. He earned the rank of full professor eight years later. His research interests include brand strategy, business-to-business marketing, and product management. Prior to his career in academia, he gained significant industry experience, including service as a brand manager at Coca-Cola Classic and vice president of marketing at Snapper Power Equipment.

A graduate of the University of Virginia, Dr. Brown received his MBA from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, and his Ph.D. from Georgia State University.

Ronald Hickman has been appointed dean of the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio.

With nearly two decades of experience as a critical care nurse and nurse practitioner, Dr. Hickman currently serves as the Ruth M. Anderson Endowed Professor and associate dean for research in the university’s Center for Research and Scholarship. In his scholarly work, he focuses on decision-making with uncertainty and risk, chronic illness self-management among health disparate populations, and family and patient-centered critical care.

Dr. Hickman received his bachelor’s degree in biological science, a master’s degree in nursing, and a Ph.D. in nursing science, all from Case Western Reserve University.

Kala Burrell-Craft has been named dean of the College of Education at Grambling State University in Louisiana.

Dr. Burrell-Craft’s background includes nearly two decades of experience in K-12 and higher education settings. As a scholar, she studies identity development, educational equity in urban and rural contexts, anti-racist teacher and leadership preparation, culturally responsive pedagogy, critical literacies, and social justice.

Dr. Burrell-Craft received her bachelor’s degree from Bowie State University in Maryland. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Phoenix and a doctorate from Louisiana State University.