Leadership

The Thurgood Marshall College Fund's Dr. N. Joyce Payne Research Center recently published a new report discussing the skills and structural conditions necessary to retain successful HBCU presidents, who currently average less than five years in office.

Dr. Recasner has over two decades of experience as a tenured faculty member and senior administration in higher education. She has been serving as the interim president of Seattle Central University.

Dr. Cooper Whitehead brings extensive experience in student affairs and academic leadership to her new role. She comes to Regis University from Boston College, where she has served as vice president of student affairs since 2021.

Dr. Smith was named the first Black president of Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania in 2015. Before her presidency, she was dean of the college and the Woodrow Wilson Professor of Literature at Princeton University.

Dr. Shavers has served as associate dean of the College of Education at Missouri State University for nearly three years. She is slated to serve as the college's interim dean on July 1.

“These partnerships represent a deliberate investment in ensuring HBCU leaders are not only prepared to assume leadership roles, but supported through structured development, shared learning, and governance practices that promote institutional stability and long-term success,” said Aja Johnson, senior program manager for executive leadership at the UNCF Institute for Capacity Building.

“It is an honor to be selected as the next president of Tougaloo College, an institution with a profound legacy of academic excellence and social transformation,” said Dr. Wiggins. “I look forward to working collaboratively with the board of trustees, faculty, staff, students, alumni, and the broader Tougaloo community to advance the college's mission and strengthen its future.”

“I am honored to join North Carolina A&T, a university with such a rich history of excellence and a clear vision for the future,” said Dr. Daire. “I look forward to working with faculty, staff, and students to build on the university’s momentum and ensure that every Aggie has the support they need to succeed.”

Dr. Williams comes to his new role from California State University, East Bay, where he served as dean of the College of Education and Allied Studies. Earlier in his career, he was a professor of counseling and associate dean of the Graduate College of Education at San Francisco State University.

“As we work to improve mathematics teacher education, we must have open hands and open hearts to the diverse needs of students, teachers, schools, communities, and other partners. I hope to do this work in a way that centers humanity, community, and flexibility,” said Dr. Myers.

“The institutions of the CSU System have an extraordinary legacy of serving Colorado — a legacy I am honored and excited to help carry forward,” said Rico Munn, who will begin his role as system chancellor in 2027.

The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities is a national organization that supports Jesuit higher education institutions in the United States, Belize, and Canada. Dr. Murray, who currently serves as senior vice president for student development and mission at the College of the Holy Cross, is slated to become the association's next president on June 2.

“Leading Voorhees University is both an honor and a calling,” said Dr. Hopkins. “I am deeply grateful to the board of trustees for their continued trust and partnership. Together, we will continue building on this momentum — expanding opportunity, strengthening outcomes, and advancing Voorhees to the next level of excellence.”

A faculty member since 1995, Dr. Wilcots currently serves as dean of the University of Wisconsin-Madison's College of Letters & Science. He is slated to become the institution's interim president on May 17.

Since 2016, Dr. Alexander has served as mayor of the City of Norfolk, Virginia. Last year, he took on additional responsibilities as vice chancellor for strategic partnerships for the Virginia Community College System.

Dr. Edwards has been serving as vice chancellor of academic affairs at Ivy Tech Community College in Indiana. He is slated to become the new president of Eastern Maine Community College on April 1.

Duhart has been a faculty member with the Shepard Broad College of Law at Nova Southeastern University in Florida for over two decades. An expert in legal writing, Duhart recently completed a second term as co-president of the Society of American Law Teachers.

The Tri County HBCU Alliance serves students, families, and alumni of historically Black colleges and universities in Chester, Lancester, and York Counties of South Carolina. An alumna and former member of the board of visitors at Virginia State University, Crystal Burns is the alliance's inaugural strategic leader.

Dr. Blanchard has served as president of the University of Houston-Downtown for the past five years. He is slated to assume the presidency of California State University, Long Beach on May 1.

Historically Black Tougaloo College in Mississippi has announced a field of three finalists to become the fifteenth president of the educational institution. In March, a candidate is expected to be chosen to become president.