Anita Thomas has resigned as president of North Central College in Illinois after one year in the position. When she assumed her presidency in July 2023, she became the first-ever woman and person of color to lead the college.
The new deans are Carolyn Gentle-Genitty at Butler University, Karen Thomas-Brown at Washington State University, Arwin Smallwood at North Carolina Central University, Suzanne Burke Lehman at St. Catherine University, and Stephanie Luster-Teasley Pass at North Carolina A&T State University.
Dr. Evan's appointment as president of St. Catherine University is the second time she has been named the first African American president of a higher education institution. She previously served as the first woman and first Black president of Bloomfield College in New Jersey.
Dr. Thomas is currently the executive vice president and provost at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Prior to arriving at St. Catherine University in 2019, she was the founding dean of the College of Applied Behavioral Sciences at the University of Indianapolis. Earlier in her career, Dr. Thomas taught counseling psychology and school counseling at Loyola University Chicago.
Dr. Thomas is currently the executive vice president and provost at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Prior to arriving at St. Catherine University in 2019, she was the founding dean of the College of Applied Behavioral Sciences at the University of Indianapolis. Earlier in her career, Dr. Thomas taught counseling psychology and school counseling at Loyola University Chicago.
Taking on new roles relating to diversity are Steven H. Kenney, Jr. at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, Felicia Benton-Johnson at Clemson University in South Carolina, and Sonia Toson at Kennesaw State University in Georgia.
Tarshia Stanley, dean of the division of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences, and professor of English at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, has been selected as the winner of the Teaching Literature Book Award, an international prize for the best book on teaching literature at the college level. The award is presented biennially by the graduate faculty in English at Idaho State University.
Here is this week’s roundup of African Americans who have been appointed to new administrative positions at colleges and universities throughout the United States.
Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.
Taking on new duties are Rebecca Davis at Simmons University in Boston, Sharon M. Howell at Saint Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, Adanna Jones at Bowdoin College in Brunswick, Maine, and Tracey Fleming of Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan.
Dr. Thomas currently serves as the founding dean of the College of Applied Behavioral Sciences at the University of Indianapolis. Earlier, she served on the faculty for 10 years and was associate dean of academic affairs and research in the School of Education at Loyola University in Chicago. She will become provost on June 3, 2019.
The honorees are Jerome H. Holland, former president of what is now Delaware State University, Tequila Harris of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Zachery S. Mitcham of North Carolina Central University, Taiyon J. Coleman of St. Catherine University in Minnesota, and Eric Yirenkyi Danquah, who is affiliated with Cornell University.
Tarshia Stanley will be the next dean of the School of Humanities, Arts, and Sciences at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota. Dr. Stanley has been serving as an associate professor of English and director of the E.W. Githii Honors Program at Spelman College in Atlanta.
Appointed to new positions are Patricia Pratt-Cook at St. Catherine University in Minnesota, Jasmin Spain at Pitt Community College in North Carolina, Amber Williams at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Martin Jarmond at Boston College, and Keyonda M. Smith at the Maryland University of Integrated Health.
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