New Administrative Appointments in Higher Education for a Quartet of African Americans

Laura Colson was named vice president for academic affairs at Bennett College in Greensboro, North Carolina. She has been serving as associate vice president for academic affairs at Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte. She has been on the staff there since 2005.

Dr. Colson earned a bachelor’s degree in education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She holds a master’s degree in curriculum and supervision from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Gardner-Webb University in Boiling Springs, North Carolina.

Freddie E. Wills, Jr. was appointed chief of staff in the Office of the President at Harris-Stowe State University in St. Louis. He had been serving as assistant vice president for STEM initiatives at the university. Before joining Harris-Stowe, Dr. Wills served as senior associate director of admissions and assistant dean for strategic implementation at Washington University in St. Louis. Earlier, Dr. Wills served as director of diversity at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy.

Dr. Wills earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from Southwest Baptist University in Bolivar, Missouri. He holds a master’s degree in media communications from Webster University in Webster Groves, Missouri, and has a Ph.D. in higher education administration from Saint Louis University.

Marie Williams has been appointed vice president for human resources at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, effective July 12. A native of England, Williams comes to Brown from North Carolina State University, where she has served as associate vice chancellor for human resources since 2016. Earlier, she was associate vice president for human resources and administrative services at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana.

Williams earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and enterprise from what is now Birmingham City University in England. She holds a master’s degree in business administration from Georgia Southern University.

Victor Clay was appointed chief of the Harvard University Police Department. He will assume his new role on July 26. Clay is currently chief of campus security and parking services at the California Institute of Technology. Earlier, he was head of campus security at Occidental College in Los Angeles.

Earlier in his career, Clay spent nearly 30 years wih the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

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