New Appointments for Eight Black Administrators in Higher Education
Bruce Smith was named executive director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Portland State University in Oregon. Dr. Smith comes to his new role with more than two decades of experience in inclusive leadership in the private and public sectors, as well as K-12 and higher education. Most recently, he was a program manager at TriMet. Earlier, he was dean of students at Reed College in Oregon.
Dr. Smith is a graduate of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he majored in American civilization. He holds a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Southern California and a Ph.D. in education, language, literacy, and culture from the University of California, Berkeley.
Pacey Bowens is vice president of the division of business affairs at Morris College in Sumter, South Carolina. Dr. Bowens has an extensive background in business and financial leadership. Her prior experience in academia includes service as vice president for finance and administration and chief financial officer at Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi, and as associate vice president for finance at Arkansas Northeastern College.
Dr. Bowens holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and accounting and an MBA in accounting from the University of Phoenix. She holds a doctorate in educational leadership from Arkansas State University.
Keyshawn Moncrieffe has been named director of research and compliance in the division of research and economic development at Morgan State University in Baltimore. In this role, she will serve as the HBCU’s research integrity officer, providing oversight of the Research Security and Human Research Protection Programs.
Dr. Moncrieffe is a graduate of American InterContinental University, where she majored in business management. She holds an MBA and a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Morgan State University.
Sharnnia Artis has been promoted to senior vice president for organizational excellence and institutional integrity at George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. Dr. Artis first arrived at the university in 2021 and most recently served as vice president for access, compliance, and community, Earlier, she was assistant dean of access and inclusion in the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences and the Samueli School of Engineering at the University of California, Irvine.
Dr. Artis received bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in industrial and systems engineering from Virginia Tech.
Jennifer Bell was named interim director of athletics at Tennessee State University. Bell first joined the university in 1991 as an assistant women’s basketball coach. She later transitioned into athletics administration, serving in various roles in compliance, student services, and student-athlete development. Most recently, she served as executive senior associate athletic director for student-athlete services and senior woman administrator.
Bell is a graduate of Fisk University in Nashville, where she majored in political science. She holds a master’s degree in sport administration from Tennessee State University.
Clyburn Halley is chief of police at South Carolina State University. Halley brings more than three decades of law enforcement experience to his new position. He is affiliated with the International Association of Campus Law Enforcement Administrators, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police.
Halley received his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from St. Leo University in Florida and his master of public administration degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.
Michelle Curtain Stewart is interim vice president of academic affairs at Caldwell University in New Jersey. Dr. Stewart comes to her role with more than three decades of experience in faculty and administrative roles. She has previously served as president of the Institute for Clinical Social Work in Chicago, vice president of academic affairs at Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee, and interim provost at Adler University in Chicago.
Dr. Stewart is a graduate of Alcorn State University in Mississippi, where she majored in political science. She received her master’s degree in sociology and her doctorate in educational leadership from Indiana University.
Fran’Cee Brown-McClure was appointed vice president for student affairs at Prairie View A&M University in Texas. Most recently, Dr. Brown-McClure was associate vice president and dean of students at Louisiana State University. She has previously served as vice president for student affairs at Jackson State University, vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Union College in New York, dean of students at Spelman College in Atlanta, and associate dean of residential education at Stanford University in California.
Dr. Brown-McClure is an alumna of Jackson State University, where she majored in psychology. She holds a master of social work degree from Boston University and a Ph.D. in educational administration from the University of Texas at Austin.