Maria Arvelo Lumpkin was recently appointed chief operating officer at Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh, North Carolina. In this role, Dr. Lumpkin serves as a member of the President’s executive leadership team and cabinet. Her responsibilities include operationalizing and creating a streamlined approach to all aspects of the university, serving as senior advisor to the president, and liaison to the board of trustees.
Dr. Lumpkin brings to the university over 20 years of higher education experience. Most recently she served as the special assistant to the president, and as the inaugural executive director of student retention and the center for scholar communities at Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania. Earlier, Dr. Lumpkin served in leadership roles in two of the largest university systems in the nation — the University System of Georgia and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.
A native of Columbia, South Carolina, Dr. Lumpkin holds a bachelor’s degree from Saint Augustine’s Univerity. She earned a master’s degree in urban studies from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia; and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy from Clark Atlanta University.
Congratulations to my fellow CAU alum. It’s good to see an AUC product doing well.