Notable Appointments of African Americans in Higher Education

Valerie S. Fields was named interim vice president for student affairs at South Carolina State University in Orangeburg. Since 2006 she has been assistant vice president for student affairs and an associate professor of education.

Dr. Fields is a graduate of Southern University in Baton Rouge. She holds a master’s degree from the University of Louisiana at Monroe and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Louisiana Tech University.

Warde Manuel was named director of athletics at the University of Connecticut. He held a similar post at the University of Buffalo. Prior to coming to Buffalo in 2005, he was an associate athletics director at the University of Michigan.

Manuel is a graduate of the University of Michigan where he also earned a master’s degree in social work and an MBA.

Brenda C. Spencer was appointed director of retention in the Office of Academic Affairs at Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. She previously was involved in the university’s planning for a new dental school.

Dr. Spencer holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Florida A&M University. She earned a doctorate in higher education administration from Florida State University.

Lakisha Sanders is the new director of financial aid at Fort Valley State University in Georgia. She was the associate director of financial aid and a business analyst at Clark Atlanta University.

Sanders holds degrees from Armstrong Atlantic State University and the University of Illinois.

Michelle Garfield Cook was named associate provost for institutional diversity at the University of Georgia. Since May 2011 she has been serving in the post on an interim basis. Previously, she was associate dean of the university’s College of Arts and Sciences.

A graduate of Princeton University, Dr. Cook holds a master’s degree from Yale University and a Ph.D. in history from Duke University.

Lori White, vice president for student affairs at Southern Methodist University, has been appointed to the board of directors of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

Dr. White is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley. She holds a doctorate in education policy from Stanford University.

Vicki Brown was named interim dean of the College of Education at Grambling State University in Louisiana. She has been serving as interim associate dean of education at the university.

Dr. Brown is graduate of Grambling State University. She earned a master’s degree at Louisiana Tech and a doctorate from Kent State University in Ohio.

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