Xavier University of Louisiana Names Its Next President

Since 2012, C. Reynold Verret has served as provost and chief academic officer at Savannah State University in Georgia. On July 1, he will replace Norman C. Francis who has led Xavier University since 1968.

Six Men Named as Finalists to Lead the Southern University System

Six men have been selected as finalists for the position of president of the Southern University System and chancellor of its flagship campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Heidi Anderson to Be the Next Provost at Texas A&M University-Kingsville

Since 2013, Dr. Anderson has been provost and vice president for academic affairs at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. Previously, she served as a faculty member and an administrator at the University of Kentucky for 11 years.

Marion Gillis-Olion Named Dean of the School of Education at Fayetteville State University

Dr. Gillis-Olion has been on the faculty at the university since 1983. Most recently, she has served as associate vice chancellor for academic affairs. This will be her second tenure as dean of the School of Education.

The Inaugural Dean of the School of Public Health at Jackson State University

Dorothy C. Browne has been serving as an adjunct professor of maternal and child welfare in the School of Global Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is the former director of the Public Health Institute at North Carolina A&T State University.

A Change in Leadership at Fisk University in Nashville

H. James Williams has resigned as president of the university after less than three years on the job. Frank L. Sims, a member of the board of trustees who was an executive at Cargill Inc., has been named interim president.

Virginia State University Names Its New President

Makola M. Abdullah has been serving as provost and chief academic officer at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida. At the time he earned his doctorate, he was the youngest African American to have ever received a Ph.D. in engineering.

Eddie N. Moore Jr. Named President of Norfolk State University in Virginia

Moore has been serving as interim president of Norfolk State since 2013 and the board of visitors rewarded him for leading the university when it was placed on probation by its accrediting agency. It has now been removed from probation.

Brian O. Hemphill Named the Seventh President of Radford University in Virginia

Since July 2012, Dr. Hemphill has served as the 10th president of West Virginia State University. Previously, he was vice president for student affairs and enrollment management at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

Texas Southern University President to Step Down at the End of the Academic Year

John M. Rudley has served as the eleventh president of Texas Southern University in Houston since 2008. Earlier, he was interim chancellor of the University of Houston System and interim president of the University of Houston.

Linda Scott Is a Finalist for Dean of the School of Nursing at the...

Linda Scott is the associate dean for academic affairs at the School of Nursing of the University of Illinois at Chicago. She also serves as an associate professor of health systems science and director of graduate studies.

Two African American Women Named Deans at Southern Universities

Stephanie G. Adams was named dean of the Frank Batten College of Engineering and Technology at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia, and Pamela Jackson is the new dean of the School of Business and Economics at Fayetteville State University in North Carolina.

Anthony L. Jenkins Appointed President of West Virginia State University

West Virginia State University is a historically Black university but today only 10 percent of the 2,800-member undergraduate student body is Black. Dr. Jenkins has been serving as senior associate vice president at the University of Central Florida in Orlando.

James H. Ammons Named Provost at Delaware State University

Dr. Ammons served as president of Florida A&M University in Tallahassee from 2007 to 2012. Also, he is the former chancellor of North Carolina Central University. For the past four years, he has been serving as a professor of political science at Florida A&M University.

Two African American Finalists for President of Roanoke-Chowan Community College

Stanley Elliott is vice president for student affairs at Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Jimmy Tate is vice president for college advancement and strategic initiatives at James Sprunt Community College in Kenansville, North Carolina.

Wilberforce University in Ohio Names Its Next President

The oldest private historically Black college and university in the nation has named Herman J. Felton Jr. as the educational institution's 21st president. He has been serving as senior vice president and chief operating officer at Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina.

Jamillah Moore Is the New President of Cañada College in Redwood City, California

Dr. Moore was selected from among 47 applicants for the job as president of Cañada College. She had been serving as interim vice chancellor of educational services and planning for the San Mateo County Community College District.

Mickey Burnim to Step Down From Presidency of Bowie State University

Mickey L. Burnim, president of Bowie State University, the historically Black educational institution in Maryland, announced that he will step down at the end of the current academic year on June 30, 2017. When he retires, he will have led the university for nearly 11 years.

Bernadette Gray-Little to Step Down as Chancellor of the University of Kansas

Bernadette Gray-Little, the 17th chancellor of the University of Kansas, announced that she will step down at the end of the current academic year. When she was named chancellor in 2009, Dr. Gray-Little became the first woman and the first African American in history to hold the position.

SUNY Appoints Wayne J. Riley as the Next President of Downstate Medical Center

Dr. Riley has been serving as a clinical professor of medicine at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He is the immediate past president of the American College of Physicians. Earlier in his career, Dr. Riley was president, CEO, and professor at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee.

Michael Drake Gets an Extension of His Contract as President of Ohio State University

In June 2014, Michael V. Drake became the 15th president of Ohio State University. He is the first African American to be president of Ohio State. Now the board of trustees has extended his contract through June 2021.

James E. Lyons to Lead Concordia College in Selma, Alabama

The board of regents of Concordia College in Selma, Alabama, has named James E. Lyons as chief transition officer. In effect, Dr. Lyons will serve as interim president of the historically Black educational institution for the next six months.

Haywood Strickland to Retire From Presidency of Wiley College

Haywood L. Strickland has announced that he will step down as president of Wiley College in Marshall, Texas at the end of the 2017-18 academic year. He has led the historically Black educational institution in East Texas since 2000.

The Next Leader of Norfolk State University in Virginia

Dr. Melvin T. Stith has served on the board of visitors of Norfolk State University since 2013 and as vice rector since 2016. He is dean emeritus of the School of Management at Syracuse University. Dr. Stith will begin his term as interim president on January 1.

The New Leader of Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock

The board of trustees of Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock has named Howard O. Gibson as interim president. The board stated that it hoped to have a permanent new president by July 1. Since 2015, Dr. Gibson has served as the chief academic officer at the college.

David R. Harris Chosen to Be President of Union College in Schenectady, New York

Since July 2012, Dr. Harris has served as senior vice president and provost at Tufts University in Medford, Massachusetts. Previously, he was senior associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Cornell University.

Thomas Parham Appointed President of California State University, Dominguez Hills

Currently, Dr. Parham serves as vice chancellor for student affairs at the University of California, Irvine. He has held that post since 2011 and has been on the university's staff for more than 30 years. Earlier, he taught at the University of Pennsylvania.

The Next President of Great Bay Community College in New Hampshire

Dr. Morrice was vice provost at the University of Missouri in charge of enrollment management and strategic development. Earlier, he was the chief enrollment officer at Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania and associate vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

Heidi Anderson Appointed the 16th President of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore

Since September 2017, Dr. Anderson has been special advisor to the president of Texas A&M University-Kingsville. She served as provost and vice president for academic affairs there from 2015 to 2017.

Peggy Valentine Appointed to Lead Fayetteville State University in North Carolina

Dr. Valentine has been serving as dean of the School of Health Sciences at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina. Her research focuses on homeless and minority health issues. Dr. Valentine is the founding editor-in-chief for the Journal of Best Practices in Health Professions Diversity.

A Trio of African American Scholars Who Have Been Appointed to Dean Positions

Anthony A. Pittman was named dean of the School of Education at Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina. Dominique Ayesha Robinson has been named dean of the Chapel at Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, and Damien Clement has been named acting dean of the Honors College at West Virginia University.

The First African American Woman Dean at Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio

Alyncia Bowen was appointed dean of doctoral studies and the School of Nursing at Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio. Dr. Bowen joined Franklin University 14 years ago. She has served as department chair, director of doctoral studies and director of the Global Center for Healthcare Education.

Historically Black Central State University in Ohio Selects its Ninth President

Jack Thomas was named the eleventh president of Western Illinois University in 2011. He served in that role until 2019. Dr. Thomas will succeed Cynthia Jackson-Hammond, who will step down as president of Central State University in July.

Erika James to Lead the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania

When she takes office on July 1, Erika James will be the first woman and the first African American to lead the prestigious business school since its founding in 1881. Since 2014, Dr. James has been serving as dean of the Goizueta Business School at Emory University in Atlanta.

Benjamin Ola. Akande Will Be the Ninth President of Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont

Dr. Akande currently serves as the assistant vice chancellor for international affairs–Africa, and as associate director of the Global Health Center at Washington University in St. Louis. From 2015 to 2017, he was president of Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri.

General Ronnie D. Hawkins Chosen to Lead Angelo State University in Texas

When General Hawkins takes office on August 14, Hawkins will be the first African American to serve as president of Angelo State University in its 92-year history. A retired three-star Air Force general, he is the former director of the Defense Information Systems Agency at Fort Meade, Maryland.

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