Dasha Lundy has been selected to serve as interim president of Knoxville College in Tennessee, according to an article from Tennessee Lookout. As the institution’s next leader, Dr. Lundy will seek to revitalize the historically Black college, which has been unaccredited for nearly three decades.
Knoxville College was founded in 1875 by the United Presbyterian Church of North America. At its peak in the 1960s, enrollments reached 1,200 students. The college lost its accreditation in 1997. By 2015, there were only 11 students enrolled for the spring semester. That spring, Knoxville College announced that it would not hold any classes for the 2015-16 academic year. In 2018, the college once again began to offer classes, but only online. In November 2024, the campus was dealt another blow as its century-old administration building was destroyed by fire.
Knoxville College has also faced recent challenges with leadership turnover. In April, a former board member called for the resignation of Dr. Lundy’s predecessor, Rotesha Harris, less than one year after her presidency began. Dr. Harris’ predecessor, Leonard Adams, led the college for three years.
A former Knox County Commissioner, Dr. Lundy previously served as Knoxville College’s chief operating officer and vice president from 2021 to 2023. She holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a Ph.D. in physical therapy from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. In between her undergraduate and doctoral studies, she earned a master’s degree in physical therapy from historically Black Tennessee State University.
