Frank R. Hall has been appointed dean of the John W. Garland College of Engineering, Science, Technology, and Agriculture at Central State University, one of two historically Black universities in the state of Ohio. Previously, he held dean appointments at Southern Utah University, Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan, and Worcester State University in Massachusetts. In his research, he studies Quaternary climate variability recorded in sediments of the high-latitude North Atlantic and Arctic oceans.
Dr. Hall holds a bachelor’s degree in Earth science from Kean University in New Jersey. He completed a master’s degree in geology at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and a Ph.D. in geological oceanography from the University of Rhode Island.
Kevin Richardson has been named dean of the division of business at Talladega College in Alabama. He comes to his new role from another HBCU, Edward Waters University in Florida, where he was an associate professor of business and technology. His academic and professional background includes extensive experience in operations management, sustainability, information systems, and organizational leadership.
In addition to four master’s degrees, Dr. Richardson holds a doctor of business administration degree in operations and quality management systems from The National Graduate School in Massachusetts, as well as a Ph.D. in technology management and a Ph.D. in sustainability both from Capitol Technology University in Maryland.
Kendall Harris has been selected to serve as interim dean of the Fowler School of Engineering at Chapman University in California. With extensive experience in academic leadership at HBCUs, he previously served as provost and vice president of academic affairs and research at Texas Southern University and dean of the Roy G. Perry College of Engineering at Prairie View A&M University in Texas. He also held dean appointments at Bowling Green State University in Ohio and the University of Texas at Permian Basin. An electrical engineer and computer scientist, he studies heat transfer, electronic packaging cooling, and energy conservation.
Dr. Harris earned bachelor’s degrees in aerospace engineering and psychology from the University of Kansas. He holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Mississippi.
Nicholas J. Hill has been named dean of the College of Business at Jackson State University in Mississippi. His appointment marks a return to the HBCU where he previously directed the Ph.D. in business program and helped launched the Center for Research in Economic Education and Financial Literacy. More recently, he served as dean of the School of Business and co-led the Economic Development Administration University Center at Claflin University, a historically Black educational institution in South Carolina. As a scholar, he focuses on health, labor, and urban economics with an emphasis on entrepreneurship, economic mobility, and educational outcomes.
A three-time HBCU graduate, Dr. Hill holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Tougaloo College in Mississippi, a master’s degree in urban economics from Howard University in Washington, D.C., and a Ph.D. in business administration with an emphasis on economics from Jackson State University.
Charles DeSassure has been named dean of instruction at Lamar Institute of Technology in Beaumont, Texas. He comes to his new role from Rose State College in Midwest City, Oklahoma, where he served as dean of the business and information technology division. Previously, he was the STEM dean at Virginia Peninsula Community College. Earlier in his career, he spent two decades on the faculty of Tarrant College-Southeast Campus in Arlington, Texas, serving in leadership roles such as department chair and program coordinator.
A graduate of Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College in South Carolina, Dr. DeSassure holds a bachelor’s degree from Claflin University, a master’s degree in computer resources and information management from Webster University in Missouri, and a doctorate in computer science with a specialization in cybersecurity from Colorado Technical University
