Mary Evans Sias, former president of Kentucky State University, passed away on May 6. She was 75 years old.
Born and raised in Jackson, Mississippi, Dr. Sias earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from historically Black Tougaloo College in Mississippi. She went on to receive a master’s degree and a doctorate in sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MBA from Abilene Christian University in Texas. Later in life, she received an honorary doctorate in public service from Central Michigan University.
A longtime leader in higher education, Dr. Sias’s early career including teaching and administrative appointments at historically Black Grambling State University in Louisiana and Southern Methodist University in Dallas. After more than a decade of service as chief executive officer of the YWCA of Metropolitan Dallas, Dr. Sias became senior vice president of student affairs and external relations at the University of Texas at Dallas.
In 2004, Dr. Sias was named president of Kentucky State University. She led the historically Black university for 10 years, during which she helped increase student enrollment, expand academic offerings, modernize campus systems, and deepen community engagement. From 2015 to 2021, she served as director of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities’ Millennium Leadership Initiative. In 2023, Dr. Sias was named interim president of Texas Southern University, where she was a member of the board of regents.
