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Dr. Kimberly Andrews Espy will become the first woman president of Wayne State University, effective Aug. 1.
Dr. Kimberly Andrews Espy
Espy – a licensed clinical psychologist – is currently provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Previously, she was senior vice president for research at the University of Arizona; vice president for research and innovation and dean of the graduate school at the University of Oregon; and faculty at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.
“Wayne State University is a national model for student success, is recognized for its community impact, and is respected across the nation and around the world for its scholarship and health services, particularly in addressing health disparities in major cities,” Espy said. “I am honored that the board has chosen me to be this university’s next leader, and I am excited to begin charting the journey we will all take together to continue to create and advance knowledge for our community and our world.”
She is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Psychological Association and has been a board member for organizations such as the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) and the Government-University-Industry Research Roundtable. In 2022, Espy was a San Antonio Business Journal Women’s Leadership Award winner.
Espy holds an undergraduate degree in psychology from Rice University and her M.A. and Ph.D. in clinical neuropsychology from the University of Houston.
Dr. Xavier A. Cole will become president of Loyola University New Orleans, effective Jun. 1, making him the first person of color, the first Black person, and second layperson in the role.Dr. Xavier A. Cole
Cole is currently vice president for student affairs at Marquette University. Before Marquette, Cole was vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Washington College and assistant vice president at Loyola University Maryland.
“Dr. Cole is a uniquely experienced higher education administrator who has dedicated his career to the study and preservation of Jesuit, Catholic institutions in America, and to the service of their students,” said Stephen Landry, chair of the Loyola University New Orleans board of trustees.
Cole also serves as chair of the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education Executive Doctorate Alumni Board.
Cole holds a bachelor’s in history from the University of Mississippi, a master’s in history from Miami University (Ohio), and a doctorate in higher education management from the University of Pennsylvania.
Johanna Bond will become dean of Rutgers Law School, effective Jul. 3, pending board approval.Johanna Bond
Bond is currently the tenured Sydney and Frances Lewis Professor of Law at the Washington and Lee University School of Law and an affiliate faculty member in the university’s Africana Studies and the women’s, gender, and sexuality studies programs.
“An accomplished legal scholar and a strong academic administrator, Professor Johanna Bond is uniquely qualified to serve as the dean of Rutgers University Law School,” said Dr. Antonio Tillis, chancellor of Rutgers University-Camden. “Professor Bond brings an intellectual trajectory that complements the scholarly focus of law faculty in Camden. As an academic administrator, she has a proven track record with leading a diverse faculty, financial management, pedagogical innovation, fundraising, and alumni development. Further, her commitment to a student-centric approach to legal education and focus on civically engaged and experiential learning aligns well with the values of Rutgers-Camden. I look forward to welcoming Professor Bond to campus.”
Previously, she was associate dean for academic affairs and chair of the Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion at Washington and Lee.
Author of Global Intersectionality and Contemporary Human Rights, Bond’s scholarly work centers on women’s rights in sub-Saharan Africa, women’s rights in the United Nations, and critical race feminism in human rights.
She has also been awarded the Lewis Prize for Excellence in Legal Scholarship and the Ethan Allen Faculty Award for Scholarship.
“Bond clearly appreciates the prominence of social justice in the history of our law school and in the ongoing centering of inclusive education, practice, scholarship, and engagement as an anchor institution in and of the City of Newark, and its resonance well beyond our borders,” said Dr. Nancy Cantor, chancellor of Rutgers University-Newark. “We look forward to her leadership as we move collectively to promote the public good, and to train the next diverse generation of changemakers.”
Bond holds a B.A. from Colorado College, a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School; and an LLM from Georgetown University Law Center.
Dr. D’Andra Mull will become vice chancellor for student affairs at University of Colorado Boulder, effective Jun. 1. In this role, she will report to the provost.Dr. D’Andra Mull
“As educators, we must deliver a multifaceted and innovative supportive structure for our increasingly diverse student population through creative, strategic and innovative leadership if we are to prepare the next generation of students to learn, live and lead in an evolving global community,” Mull said.
Mull previously was vice president for student life at the University of Florida and held leadership roles at The Ohio State University before that. She has also been on student affairs executive committees for organizations such as the American Association of Universities (AAU) and the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities (APLU). She is a board member of the Dr. Melvin C. Terrell Educational Foundation.
“I was immediately drawn to this position at CU Boulder because of the university’s commitment to enhancing the student experience by providing unparalleled service and support while striving to enable each student’s pathway to success,” Mull said. “I couldn’t be more honored and more excited to be a part of this university that is so deeply committed to supporting the development and success of each student.”
Mull holds a bachelor’s degree from Kent State University, a master’s degree from Michigan State University, and a doctorate from Ohio State.
Dr. Stuart Rayfield will become president of Columbus State University, effective Jul. 1.Dr. Stuart Rayfield
Rayfield is currently vice chancellor for leadership and institutional development of the broader University System of Georgia (USG).
“I’m thrilled to return to Columbus State University as its next president,” Rayfield said. “With its deep ties to the Chattahoochee Valley community, including Fort Benning, Columbus State is the driver of the region’s workforce and is poised to lead and partner with other entities to meet the demands of an ever-changing economy.”
She has previously been USG’s interim executive vice chancellor for academic affairs; the Frank D. Brown Distinguished Chair in Servant Leadership at Columbus State; interim president of the former Bainbridge State College; interim president of Gordon State College; and interim president of the University of West Georgia.
Rayfield holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Rhodes College, a master’s in higher education administration focused on student affairs from the University of Alabama, and a doctorate in higher education administration focused on leadership, policy, and organizations from Vanderbilt University.
Dr. Aparna Dileep-Nageswaran Palmer will become the next chancellor of the University of Alaska Southeast, effective Jul. 1, KINY reported.Dr. Aparna Dileep-Nageswaran Palmer
Palmer is currently a vice president at Front Range Community College (FRCC), chief executive of the Boulder County Campus, and interim chief executive of the Larimer County Campus of FRCC.
“I am honored to be appointed as chancellor of such an amazing and distinctive university and I am committed to UAS, the UA System, and to Alaskans,” Palmer said. “I look forward to working with the incredible faculty and staff to support their work and educational mission and creating more opportunities for students to access higher education. Having lived in, taught about, and done research on Pacific Northwest coastal organisms and ecosystems, I’m excited to make Southeast my home. Along with the great alumni, and with the support of the Juneau, Ketchikan, and Sitka communities, we will continue leveraging UAS’ strengths and opportunities to further empower Alaska.”
Palmer previously served as assistant vice president for academic affairs, professor of biology, director of the academic honors program, and faculty Senate president, and faculty trustee at Colorado Mesa University (CMU).
Palmer holds a Ph.D. in zoology from Washington State University, a B.S. in biological sciences, and a B.A. in English from Colorado State University.
Dr. Lakshmi Balachandra, associate professor of entrepreneurship at Babson College, is suing the business school, alleging racial and gender discrimination, The Boston Globe reported.Dr. Lakshmi Balachandra
Balachandra, who is of Indian descent, is claiming lost career opportunities, economic losses, emotional distress, and harm to her reputation due to alleged mistreatment and administrators’ failure to investigate concerns. She is seeking unspecified damages.
Dr. Andrew Corbett, professor and former chair of the school’s entrepreneurship division, was a main perpetrator of the discriminatory work environment, often losing his temper with female colleagues., Balachandra alleged.
“Babson favors white and male faculty and predominantly reserves awards and privileges for them,” according to the suit.
Balachandra said that she submitted concerns to administrators at Babson to no avail and eventually filed a charge of discrimination with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination.
Dr. Safa Zaki will become president of Bowdoin College, effective Jul. 1. She will be the first woman to lead the school.Dr. Safa Zaki
Zaki is currently dean of the faculty and the John B. McCoy and John T. McCoy Professor of Psychology at Williams College. A psychologist and cognitive scientist, her research centers on the human mind and how people divide the world into categories.
“In Safa Zaki, Bowdoin has found a distinguished scholar and leader with a global perspective who believes deeply in the transformative power of a liberal arts education,” said Scott Perper, chair of the Bowdoin board and a member of the Presidential Search Committee. “Her exceptional career in the academy, her appreciation for the humanities as well as science and technology, and her commitment to the imperatives of diversity, equity, and inclusion coupled with an authentic and engaging approach to leadership and team building make Safa the right choice for Bowdoin. She clearly wants to make a difference in this world, and we couldn’t be more pleased or more excited to welcome Safa to Brunswick.”
Zaki has previously served as assistant professor of psychology and chair of the Williams Program in Cognitive Science at Williams and was a postdoctoral research associate in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Indiana University.
“I am elated by Safa Zaki’s appointment,” said Trustee Bertrand Garcia-Moreno, professor in the Jenkins Department of Biophysics and vice dean in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences at Johns Hopkins University. “We are living in an era of remarkable change in which the relevance of higher education in general, and the promise of the liberal arts in particular, could not be clearer. Safa is the perfect choice to guide the College through the fascinating chapter that lies ahead. She is uniquely positioned to lead the development of a liberal arts curriculum for the twenty-first century—one that acknowledges global and societal challenges and the changing ways in which technology affects how new ideas are created and how truth is sought. We are very fortunate to be able to welcome Safa into our family.”
Zaki holds a B.A. in psychology at the American University in Cairo and both an M.A. and Ph.D. in psychology from Arizona State University.
Laura A. Rosenbury will become the next president of Barnard College, effective Jul. 1.Laura Rosenbury
Rosenbury, the first woman to serve as dean at University of Florida’s Levin College of Law, is a women and gender legal theorist with experience and expertise on topics such as reproductive rights, children’s rights, and sexual harassment and abuse. At UF, she also taught feminist legal theory, employment discrimination, children and law, and family law as Levin, Mabie & Levin Professor of Law.
She has previously served as a law professor and vice dean at Washington University’s Law School; a litigation associate at Davis Polk & Wardwell in New York City; and clerk for Judge Carol Bagley Amon of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York and Judge Dennis Jacobs of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.
“It’s an honor to be named Barnard College’s next president, and I look forward to carrying forth its legacy as the leading academic institution for the advancement of women,” Rosenbury said. “It was immediately clear how committed and close-knit the Barnard community is, and I’m deeply grateful to the Board of Trustees and Search Committee for entrusting me to continue Barnard’s undeniable trajectory as a global frontrunner in preparing women to make their mark on the world. Higher education is where I learned to see and understand the world in a new way and was given the space to identify where my passions lie. It’s incredibly special to be joining a community devoted specifically to helping the next generation of women do the same.”
Rosenbury holds a B.A. in women’s studies from Harvard-Radcliffe College and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.
Gordon State College (GSC) President Dr. Kirk A. Nooks was awarded the 2023 Chief Executive Leadership Award at the CASE District III Annual Conference.Dr. Kirk A. Nooks
“I’m honored to have been chosen as the recipient of this prestigious award. We, at Highlander Nation, have a shared vision of our future as we innovate new ways in fulfilling our strategic plan, Building the Power of WE, and in doing so, learn together and grow,” Nooks said. “I will continue to provide stewardship that empowers regional development, foster innovative strategies, and be proactive in working to understand the needs of our students and community.”
The event took place Feb. 27 in Atlanta.
Nooks demonstrated “remarkable leadership at GSC in a time of tremendous uncertainty,” according to the CASE District III cabinet. His dedication to a collaborative campus culture, student success, and community engagement was lauded.
Nooks also took part in a keynote panel that focused on challenges in higher ed, intellectual freedom, and the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on schools.
“More challenges existed [from the effects of the pandemic] because of the reliance on state aid, residential component, and mental health to name a few,” Nooks said. “However, there was a positive outcome and it came from our foundation. They realized those needs and, for the first time, earmarked funds outside the traditional scholarships to target the needs of those students.”
Dr. John W. Miller Jr. will become dean of The University of Louisville’s Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work and Family Science, effective Jul. 1, pending approval by the Board of Trustees.Dr. John W. Miller Jr.
Miller is dean of curriculum and senior diversity officer at St. Norbert College.
“The Kent School has a rich tradition of producing exceptional research and dedicated practice and teaching,” Miller said. “I look forward to serving the Kent School as we prepare the next generation of social work and family science leaders.”
A diversity scholar, Miller’s research includes matters such as the relationship between racism and adverse childhood experiences among African Americans.
He authored a textbook, “African American Perspectives: Matters of Consideration for Social Work Practice,” in 2017. The same year, Miller was chosen as the Arkansas Social Worker of the Year by the Arkansas Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.
He earned his Ph.D. in social work from the University of Tennessee, and his master’s of social work and his B.A in experimental psychology from the University of South Carolina.
Dr. Altheia Richardson will become the first chief diversity officer and vice president for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging at Newberry College, effective mid-May, The Newberry Observer reported.Dr. Altheia Richardson
Richardson has previously been associate vice president for strategic diversity leadership at Clemson University. She is a member of the National Association for Diversity Officers in Higher Education, president of the association’s Carolinas chapter, and a founder of the Carolina Coalition chapter of the National Coalition Building Institute.
“Altheia is such a perfect fit for this position,” said Newberry President Dr. Maurice Scherrens. “She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience leading diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging initiatives in higher education. She has a proven track record as a collaborator with all campus stakeholders and as a strong leader.”
Richardson holds a Ph.D. in educational leadership and an MBA from Clemson, and a bachelor’s in business administration from the University of South Carolina.
To Dr. Linda Burnes Bolton, the profession of nursing is about accountability.
“We’re accountable to the patient, first and foremost,” Burnes Bolton says. “And we keep that in mind in everything that we do.”
Burnes Bolton, chief nursing officer emeritus at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, dedicated her life and career to the nursing industry, having joined the healthcare organization in 1971 and retiring at age 72 in 2022.
Dr. Linda Burnes Bolton
Throughout her more than 50-year career, Burnes Bolton has served Cedars-Sinai and its patients in multiple capacities, including senior vice president and chief health equity officer.
Outside of Cedars-Sinai, Burnes Bolton spent time as president of the American Organization of Nurse Executives (now American Organization for Nursing Leadership); president of the National Black Nurses Association; trustee for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF); chair of the RWJF National Advisory Committee for Transforming Care at the Bedside and Veteran Affairs Commission on Nursing; and vice-chair of the RWJF Initiative on the Future of Nursing at the Institute of Medicine.
Burnes Bolton says that one of the feats she was most proud of accomplishing during her tenure was being able to increase the number of staff with baccalaureate degrees at Cedars-Sinai.
“We were the first institution in Los Angeles County to go with all bachelor’s degrees,” Burnes Bolton notes.
And yet, the nursing industry veteran expressed frustration with issues plaguing the field, one of which was that nurses were leaving the profession altogether.
“Some institutions still have registered nurses — that’s the top of the field — caring for more than four or five patients at a time, as many as nine or 10 patients at a time,” Burnes Bolton says. “That way, they cannot possibly, without assistance, be of use to the patient.”
She later adds, “So many people are leaving the profession because of their misguided use in terms of how they are being utilized as registered nurses.”
Because ultimately, the goal of a nurse is to effectively care for and be of use to others, she says.
“One of the things that my career has been about is making sure that everyone has the authority to call out when they believe that they don’t have the support they need to deliver the best possible care,” she says. “It’s very important that everyone who is in the human caring business – whether they’re physician, nurse, or pediatrist ... whatever their title is – understands the value of what they’re doing is caring for other humans.”
It’s a lesson she holds close to her and imparts on those interested in coming into the field. Because those who don’t understand what it means to be a nurse shouldn’t join at all, she says.
“I hope that they maintain their responsibility and accountability for caring for human beings,” Burnes Bolton says. “Some nurses don’t recognize the value of caring for another human being unfortunately. And they need to get out of nursing if they don’t recognize that.”
Dr. J. Luke Wood has been appointed to serve on the California Racial Equity Commission, the state's Senate Rules Committee. Wood will serve a two-year term.Dr. J. Luke Wood
Wood is currently vice president for student affairs and campus diversity and chief diversity officer (CDO) at San Diego State University (SDSU). In the role, he led the creation of new cultural centers, such as the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Resource Center (APIDA), the Latinx Resource Center, the Native Resource Center, and the Undocumented Resource Center.
He has previously been co-director of the Community College Equity Assessment Lab (CCEAL); director of the joint Ph.D. program in education between SDSU and Claremont Graduate University; and director of the Ed.D. Program in Community College Leadership.
Joining Wood is Candis Bowles, a Southern California attorney. The commission – created under Gov. Gavin Newsom – is tasked with producing a Racial Equity Framework of resources to promote racial equity and address structural racism. The commission will recommend ways to advance racial equity and help state agencies update policies and practices.
“Candis Bowles and Luke Wood are leaders in promoting racial equity and addressing structural racism in their respective fields, their guidance will enrich the Racial Equity Commission’s charter to provide racial equity guidance to state agencies,” said committee chair Toni G. Atkins, Senate president pro tempore. “Dr. Wood has devoted his career to researching and implementing policies to advance diversification and equity initiatives at schools, colleges, and universities.
“Together, they will play critical roles in developing a Racial Equity Framework to address the structural and systemic racism still present in our state.”
Wood holds a B.A. in Black history and politics and a master's degree in higher education from the California State University Sacramento; and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction and a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from Arizona State University.
Dr. Sonya Christian has been selected to lead California Community Colleges, effective Jun. 1. She will be the first woman and the first person of South Asian heritage in the role.Dr. Sonya Christian
Christian is chancellor of the Kern Community College District.
“Dr. Christian is one of our nation’s most dynamic college leaders, with a demonstrated record of collaboration and results in the Central Valley,” said California Gov. Gavin Newsom. “She understands what is needed to deliver on record levels of higher education investment to make real improvements to the lived reality of our students. I look forward to continuing to partner with Dr. Christian to ensure our community colleges are engines of equity and opportunity.”
She has previously been dean of science, engineering, allied health, and mathematics at Bakersfield College and administrator at Lane Community College.
“Dr. Christian is an equity-centered leader who understands that increasing access to education and workforce development transforms lives, families, communities and the state,” said Dr. Jolene Koester, interim chancellor of the California State University. “She is an innovator with a long and impressive track record of expanding opportunities for California’s students. I invite and welcome Dr. Christian’s partnership in collaboratively advancing our shared goals for student success.”
She is a board member on the Campaign for College Opportunity; the Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce; and the Public Policy Institute of California Higher Education Advisory Council. She is also chair of the California Community Colleges Women's Caucus and a member of the Asian American Pacific Islander Trustees and Administrators Caucus.
Christian holds a B.S. from University of Kerala; an M.S. in applied mathematics from University of Southern California; and a doctorate from University of California, Los Angeles.
Tsai Lu Liu has been appointed dean of the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design (AAD) at Virginia Tech, effective Jul. 1.Tsai Lu Liu
Liu is the head of the Department of Graphic Design and Industrial Design at North Carolina State University.
“During this important transitional period for the College of Architecture, Arts, and Design, Lu brings a wealth of academic and industry leadership experience to the college and a vision for working collaboratively to elevate its programs, faculty, and national reputation,” said Dr. Cyril Clarke, executive vice president and provost at Virginia Tech. “His expertise and perspectives will be invaluable to our academic leadership team and to creating a strategic path forward for AAD that aligns with the goals and priorities of the university."
Liu has previously been assistant professor in Auburn University’s School of Industrial and Graphic Design and interim associate dean for research and academic affairs in Auburn’s College of Architecture, Design and Construction.
Liu’s scholarly work focuses on analysis of user experience, applications of design thinking, industrial design processes, product development and manufacturing, and pedagogy.
Liu holds a B.S. from National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan; an MBA from Georgia State University; and a Master of Industrial Design from Auburn University.
Margaret Lo will become the first chief sustainability officer at Ball State University, effective Mar. 6.Margaret Lo
“We are excited to bring Margaret aboard to provide institutional leadership and support as we expand upon our University’s culture of collaborative sustainability,” said Alan Finn, Ball vice president for business affairs and treasurer. “At Ball State, in line with the imperatives set forth in our strategic plan, we are committed to being good stewards of our resources and the environment. Margaret’s experience will be a great asset to promote the principles of environmental, social, and economic sustainability throughout campus.”
Lo’s previous roles include director of business engagement at the Institute for Market Transformation; sustainability director at George Mason University; sustainability lead at the University of Central Florida; senior Manager of commercial energy efficiency at ICF; and corporate partnerships manager to Fortune 500 companies at The Nature Conservancy.
Lo holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Michigan; a bachelor’s degree in management from the State University of New York at Binghamton; and certifications in sustainability in existing buildings, leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED), and leadership coaching in organizational performance.
Dr. Michael L. McFrazier will become acting president at Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU), effective Mar. 1. This comes after PVAMU President Dr. Ruth Simmons’s announcement to resign early at the end of February.Dr. Michael L. McFrazier
McFrazier is currently dean of PVAMU’s Whitlowe R. Green College of Education. He has served as professor and dean at PVAMU, along with other senior leadership roles at the school. Outside of higher ed, McFrazier was a public-school teacher and administrator in the Waco Independent School District.
He will lead PVAMU until Dr. Tomikia P. LeGrande takes the reigns as president on Jun. 1.
His professional research interests include first-generation college student academic self-efficacy and minority male academic achievement and mentorship.
McFrazier holds a Ph.D. in educational leadership and administration from the University of Arkansas and a master's in educational leadership and administration, a master's in music performance, and a bachelor’s in music from Baylor University.
Title: Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership, Kansas State University College of Education.
Age: 39
Education: B.S., education, University of Kansas; M.S., education, University of Kansas; and Ed.D., educational leadership, Kansas State University
Career mentors: Dr. Cornel Pewewardy, Portland State University; Holly Mackey, White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Native Americans and Strengthening Tribal Colleges and Universities; David Thompson, Kansas State; and Debbie K. Mercer, Kansas State
Words of wisdom/advice for new faculty members: “Be patient, but persistent. Prioritize your relationships with the communities with whom you work."
Dr. Alex Red Corn’s family left the Osage reservation in Oklahoma when he was in elementary school, but he always remained connected to his heritage — somewhat.
“I had grown up going to ceremonies, but it was this kind of packaged thing that wasn’t happening consistently,” said Red Corn.
While working as a social studies teacher in Kansas City, Red Corn had a realization.
“My Osage world was not merged with my professional identity,” he said. “I was working in a non-Indian community, not building new relationships with American Indian education professionals, and not really focusing much of my work around those topics.”
The history of Native education in the United States is fraught with dispossession. The federal government made various promises about educating tribespeople, but was more focused on assimilation, an approach nicknamed “Kill the Indian, Save the Man.”
“They tried to strip Native people of their culture and their language,” said Red Corn. “They weaponized schools.”
Red Corn began to feel like an uncomfortable part of that lineage.
“I felt like I was continuing that assimilationist trajectory by just sitting in the status quo,” he recalled. “I wanted to figure out how to merge being Osage with my everyday professional work.”
Red Corn pursued a master’s degree focusing on the infrastructure of tribal governments and how they serve their citizens through educational programs. He learned that, contrary to his expectations, over 90% of American Indian children attend state public schools, rather than federal Indian schools. In these programs, they don’t learn about their native language or tribal history.
“You start to realize that assimilation trajectory is kind of still in motion with everybody,” he said.
Red Corn developed a goal: to help Native nations become more involved in the education of their own people.
“You can build the capacity of tribal governments to build partnerships with the local public schools so that they can get [their] language spoken, collaboratively do teacher training, anything that allows the tribe to have influence over the curriculum and the learning that happens every day,” he explained.
It’s a slow process, but he’s having some remarkable success.
At Kansas State University (KSU), where he is an assistant professor of educational leadership in the College of Education, Red Corn has created an indigenous education leadership certificate program, built on standards assembled collaboratively with the local Tribal Education Department. He also built the Osage Nation Educational Leadership Academy, a master’s degree program delivered in the Osage community, open to Osage citizens and employees.
“The Osage Leadership Academy is really a model of what it looks like to make sure that higher education institutions are actually serving to advance the priorities and interests of Native nations,” said Dr. Meredith McCoy, assistant professor of American Studies and History at Carleton College. “[Red Corn] has used the structures that exist within [KSU] for building excellent educational leaders, and he’s used them to amplify and advance Osage priorities when it comes to the well-being of Osage children.”
Red Corn also revived the dormant Kansas Association for Native American Education, now housed in the KSU College of Education, and became chair of a state-level committee called the Kansas Advisory Council for Indigenous Education. He’s someone, according to McCoy, who makes things seem possible.
“Alex is a good person to dream with,” McCoy said. “He’s an innovator and a builder, a connector of people and systems, an organizer within and beyond academic spaces.”
Though he has accomplished much in the past few years, Red Corn knows that there is a long road ahead.
“[Our task is] patiently building relationships to make sure that the work we’re doing is sustainable and that it’s spreading across the state,” he said. “There’s so much to be done.”
Phylicia Rashad will become the inaugural Toni Morrison Endowed Chair in Arts and Humanities at Howard University. The chair was established in May 2021.Phylicia Rashad
Rashad is currently dean of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard.
“Dean Rashad epitomizes the character, grace and creative genius that we want represented in an endowed chair as part of Toni Morrison’s legacy,” said Howard Provost Dr. Anthony K. Wutoh. “As the inaugural chairholder, we look forward to the significant contributions that she will make in shaping the educational and creative experience for our students.”
Rashad has done award-winning work in the performing arts, and has experience in theater, television, film, and fine arts administration. Rashad became the first Black actress to win a Tony Award for best actress in a play in 2004 for playing Lena Younger in a revival of “A Raisin in the Sun.” Television viewers came to know her through her performance as Clair Huxtable on the popular 1980s sitcom, "The Cosby Show."
“It is with great honor that we announce Dean Phylicia Rashad as the first holder of the Toni Morrison Endowed Chair in Arts and Humanities,” said Howard President Dr. Wayne A. I. Frederick. “Toni Morrison left her mark as one of the greatest figures in American literature, and her legacy is one that continues to inspire future generations of writers and thinkers. By establishing an endowed chair in her name, we hope to deepen our students’ exposure to literary and other creative arts and to continue to remember Ms. Morrison’s legacy. Dean Rashad is the perfect choice for this position, and I look forward to her contributions in this role.”
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