CS3.2.8 Biographies Continued
Biographies for Comprehnsive Standard 3.2.8 continued
Dr. Donald Andrews serves as Dean of the College of Business and provides the leadership to move the college forward based on a strategic planning process to achieve continuous improvement in the educational programs and services that are provided to the College’s stakeholders. As an economist, Dr. Andrews has more than 30 years of experience in teaching, research and service in this discipline. He was selected as a Nissan Fellow in 1995 to study entrepreneurship and participated in the Carnegie Mellon Fellows - Program Scholar Project with the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research in the summers of 1995-1997 at the University of Michigan. Dr. Andrews serves as principal investigator (PI) on the 2013-2018 University Center for Economic Development grant funded by the U.S. Department of Commerce, Economic Development Administration. In 2000 Andrews served as the PI on the New Realities for Minority Business Conference at Southern University, supported by the U.S. Departments of the Interior, Commerce, Defense and EPA in April 2000, co-principal investigator on a U.S. Department of Education Title VI, Part B Grant, to Enhance International Business Education at Southern University, project director for a grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization concerning entrepreneurship training (ETTAP). Dr. Andrews was a major developer of the First Minority Serving Academic Institutions (MSI) Conference held at Southern University-BR in 2003, Jackson State University in 2004, University of Texas Pan American in 2006 and Dillard University in 2008. Dr. Andrews served as the Chair of the National HBCU Business School Deans Roundtable in 2005 and Secretary of the National Economics Association from 2003-2009. He has published in journals such as, Energy Sources, Southern Journal of Agricultural Economics, Growth and Change, the Review of Black Political Economy, Mid-American Journal of Business, Journal of Retail Banking, the Annals of Regional Science, and Washington Business Research Journal. Dr. Andrews completed a doctor of philosophy in Agricultural Economics at Texas A&M University in College Station with fields in economic theory, finance and resource economics.
Dr. VerJanis A. Peoples serves as Dean of the College of Education, Arts and Humanities. She served as Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs of Southern University from 2012- 2016. She served as Dean of the College of Education for over 10 years prior to her appointment as Executive Vice Chancellor. Her many years of experience on the Southern University campus include; assistant dean of the College of Education, chair of the Departments of Curriculum and Instruction and Special Education, director of the Student Teaching Program, director of Field Experiences, superintendent of the Southern University Laboratory School and full-time professor in the College of Education. She headed Southern University’s College of Education successful NCATE reaccreditation efforts and the successful SACSCOC reaccreditation for the University. As a national leader she has assisted with setting the standards for academic programs by serving on the national scene as a committee member for HBCU initiatives and as a Board Examiner for the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
Dr. Habib P. Mohamadian, a professor and former chairman in Southern University’s department of mechanical engineering, became the Dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science at Southern University in 2002. Dr. Mohamadian, who has been associated with Southern University for over 35 years, is credited with introducing several educational and research initiatives to develop Southern University's engineering programs, enhancing its research, faculty and student recruitment efforts. Dr. Mohamadian received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin in 1976 and his M.S. and Ph.D. from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Louisiana State University-Baton Rouge in 1982. In August 1979, he joined the faculty in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. From May 1998 to June 2002, he served as Chairman of Mechanical Engineering Department. His research interest includes material characterization, solid modeling, and failure analysis. His educational effort includes the development of new techniques for engineering education outcomes assessment to increase institutional effectiveness. He has been involved in engineering design and advanced materials research and laboratory development. He has collaborated with many of his colleagues with whom he has published more than 100 journal papers and conference presentations and served as PIs on many funded research projects. Dr. Mohamadian is a member of HBCU Engineering Deans Council, Louisiana Engineering Deans Council, Advancing Minorities’ Interest in Engineering (AMIE) Executive Board, the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE), and a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).
Dr. Laurence L. Henry serves in the capacity of Interim Dean of the College of Sciences and Agriculture. He has an earned doctorate in Physics (Condensed Matter: Solid State physics, experimental) and is a tenured, full-professor in the Physics Program in the Department of Mathematics, Physics and Science and Mathematics Education (MP-SMED). His experience spans more than 44 years at all levels, from elementary school teaching through university graduate levels. His commitment to academic excellence and ability to work with diverse constituencies is demonstrated by his having been twice appointed as Acting MP-SMED Department Chairman and Physics Program Director. Dr. Henry has more than 70 publications in refereed technical journals and other technical presentations, successful grantsmanship and collaborative involvement in excess of a $1M. He believes in helping to provide for faculty and student participation in the determination of college and departmental policies and practices in course content, instructional procedures, budgets, and areas of obvious pertinence.
Dr. Albert L. Samuels is the Interim Dean of the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. He holds a B.A. in Political Science, M.A. in Social Sciences, and Ph.D. in Political Science. From 2014-2016, he served as Chair of the Department of Political Science and Criminal Justice. During the Spring Semester of 2014, he was elected by his faculty colleagues to the office of Vice President of the Southern University Faculty Senate. His research interests include American politics, black politics, Louisiana politics, educational policy, and voting rights. He has taught courses in American Government, State and Local Government, Louisiana Politics, the American Presidency, Constitutional Law, Civil Liberties, Race Relations, Comparative Politics, and Politics and Religion. Dr. Samuels has authored numerous scholarly publications. Most prominently among them, Is Separate Unequal: Black Colleges and the Challenge to Desegregation (2004, University of Kansas Press). This book earned the Best Book Award from the Race and Ethnicity Section of the American Political Science Association at its 2005 Annual Meeting. Dr. Samuels has been frequently featured in media outlets as a commentator on local, state, and national political events.
Dr. Janet S. Rami has served as Dean of the School of Nursing since 1986. It was under her leadership that SUBR’s baccalaureate nursing program achieved national recognition for success with students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The school has achieved above national average licensure exam pass rates 19 of the 23 years of graduates and has produced over 2,000 nurses including 400 nurse practitioners. The school was selected by Louisiana State Nurses Foundation as Louisiana’s “Nursing School of the Year” twice within the last three years. Dr. Rami’s success in academic administration includes leading faculty in the successful development of four degree programs including the only PhD in Nursing in Louisiana and baccalaureate and masters’ degree programs that have increased enrollment by more than 40%. As a result of her success in academic administration she was selected and served 10 years on the Board of Supervisors of Our Lady of the Lake College. Her national and local presentations and publications are numerous and include participation as a panelist on Healthcare reform along with then US Secretary Donna Shalala. Dr. Rami was one of ten Louisiana Leaders selected to meet with then First Lady Hillary Clinton to discuss the future of healthcare. Dr. Rami was an inaugural member of the Louisiana Health Works Commission and currently serves on Louisiana’s Nurse Supply and Demand Commission. She was recognized as a Role Model in the area of Health and Human Services by the Links, Inc. (Baton Rouge Chapter) and is a current member of the National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, Health Information Outreach Program Committee. She is a graduate of Dillard University, University of Southern Mississippi and earned the PhD in Research Methodology from LSU. She also completed post-doctoral studies at Harvard University in Academic Administration. Dr. Rami’s broad and deep academic background, as well as her successful experience in initiating and developing undergraduate and graduate programs, affirms her clear vision and commitment to high quality nursing at Southern University and nationally within the profession.
Dr. Damien D. Ejigiri serves as the Dean of the Graduate School. This administrative portfolio includes serving as chair of Public Administration department, director of an Urban National Park Center, dean of the Nelson Mandela School of Public Policy and currently dean of the Graduate School. In addition to my administrative experiences, I have remained an active Instructor teaching two or three courses a year which keeps me current and in touch with students and faculty. I also conduct workshop for public servants such as the National Black Forum for Black executive managers and do travel to lectures internationally in places like Uganda Makerere University and other places. Achievement highlights include, but are not limited to the following: Conducted a case method of teaching approach in South Africa with Harvard School of Government, conducted a state wide research for Louisiana on Procurement and Minority Participation, conducted training workshops to improve civil servants performance, conducted workshops for faculty and staff on customer service related issues, conducted economic and needs assessment for Louisiana Policy implications, conducted policy analysis training workshop in South Africa, conducted training workshop in Nigeria, and conducted policy analysis at Jackson State University (Policy Administration Workshop).
Dr. Barbara West Carpenter serves as Dean of International Affairs and University Outreach at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Holding the rank of tenured professor, she also directs all activities associated with the Center for Service Learning at the university. Through these appointments, she is the administrator of the unit designated to integrate international education and cultural diversity into all aspects of the university. Her responsibilities include study abroad programs, faculty development, international student integration and project management and development. Additional responsibilities include overseeing the management of mandatory service learning activities as well as continuing education programs at the university. She also has lead the participation of many of the university’s major international programs which includes joint faculty research and development, study abroad initiatives and mutual faculty and student exchanges in the following countries: Jamaica, Belize, Mexico, Nicaragua, Sierra Leone, Senegal, Gambia, Nigeria, Liberia, Ghana, China, Turkey and Brazil. Dr. Carpenter holds the BS Vocational Education and MS degrees from Southern University and A&M College in Education and Supervision and Administration. She earned the PhD in Education and International Development from Kansas State University. Further study was completed at Colorado College and Ohio State University. Some of her community and professional affiliations include the March of Dimes where she is Chair of the State Board of Directors, Phi Delta Kappa Educational Fraternity, Rotary International, and Phi Upsilon Omicron Honor Society. She chairs the Board of Commissioners for the Baton Rouge Housing Authority and is a Past International President of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. In 2015, Dr. Carpenter was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives, District 63 of which Southern University is located.
Mrs. Emma Bradford Perry is presently Professor and Dean of Libraries, Southern University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She received her formal education at Grambling State University, Atlanta University, and Western Michigan University with further study at Harvard University and UCLA. She has held numerous positions in the Library profession including Director of the Library at Dillard University in New Orleans; Associate Director of the Business School Library (Baker Library), Harvard University; Consultant, State Library of Louisiana; Division Head, Texas A&M University; Instructor, Western Michigan University; Branch Manager, Evanston Public Library (Illinois) plus other positions. She was a Senior Fellow at the Graduate Library School, UCLA for two summers; participated in the Mentorship Program at Harvard University; served six years on the Editorial Board of College and Research Libraries, Board of Directors, Southeastern Library Network(SOLINET)(first African-American to serve as Chair, Board of Directors for SOLINET); Board of Governors for the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library; a former Column Editor of LLA Bulletin; listed in Who's Who Among Black Americans, Who's Who in the South and Southwest, Personalities In The South, Who's Who of American Women, Who's Who in
Library and Information Science and Outstanding Women of America. She is a member of numerous professional organizations, has published several articles, received numerous grants, and is a frequent speaker on diversity, inclusion, equity, management and leadership. She is a founding member for one of the Baton Rouge Rotary Clubs; Board of Directors, Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities; Consultant/Grant Review for the U. S. Department of Education and Vice President, Louisiana Library Association; OCLC College and University Advisory Committee; Member, OCLC Members Council Executive Committee; Chair, OCLC Members Council Committee on Communication; HBCU Library Alliance Board of Directors, ARL/ACRL Diversity Task Force, Louisiana Library Services and Technology Advisory Council, first Librarian to serve on the Commission for Colleges (SACS) (2008-2013) and first Librarian to be selected as an Educational Testing Service (ETS) Visiting Scholar.
Dr. Diola Bagayoko serves as the Dean of the Dolores Margaret Richard Spikes Honors College. Hs is a Southern University System Distinguished Professor of Physics, Director, the Timbuktu Academy and the Louis Stokes Louisiana Alliance for Minority Participation. Dr. Bagayoko’s U.S. Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring (1996), Benjamin Banneker Legacy Award (2007), and Lifetime Mentor Award of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) partly attest to his qualifications as the Dean of the Honors College, a key mentoring arm of the University. With more than 180 publications, 120 of which are in theoretical physics and more than 60 in teaching, mentoring, and learning (TML), Dr. Bagayoko demonstrated the scholarly productivity of an Honors College Dean. He has served as consultant to national and international organizations that include the National Science Foundation, the US Department of Defense, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), and universities, in and outside the U.S. His successful, six years’ chairmanship of the Department of Physics (2009-2012) and that of Mathematics, Physics, and Science and Mathematics Education (MP-SMED, 2012-2015) partly underscores his administrative prowess, besides the flawless execution and management of more than 30 sponsored projects with a total budget over $40 million. During his short tenure as the Director of the Office of Grants, Sponsored Programs, and Faculty Development (1987-1988), he uplifted SUBR from being among the least funded universities in the competition for the Board of Regents Support Fund (BORSF) to the top two, in gross funding, and to the No. 1 position in funding level normalized with respect to the size of the faculty. Dr. Bagayoko was the principal author of the proposal and strategic plan, which passed rigorous reviews by out-of-state experts for the Board of Regents, for the establishment of the Ph.D. degree program in Science and Mathematics Education at SUBR. Former undergraduate mentees of Dr. Bagayoko include 22, 13, and 7 Ph.D. degree holders in Physics, Chemistry, and Engineering and 14 Student Grand Marshals.
Dr. Dana Carpenter serves as Director of Academic Outreach Programs. He has an earned Ph.D. from Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas in Curriculum and Instruction with emphasis on Higher Education Administration. He was awarded the M.A. from Northwestern State University in Speech Education and received the B.S. in Speech, Drama and English Education from Grambling State University. Fall 2015, he served as Interim Associate Vice Chancellor forAcademic Affairs. Before this appointment, he served as Director of the Dual Enrollment and Trio Programs. He served 5 years as the Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Dean of the University College reporting directly to the Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs and Provost. His responsibilities included oversight of college programs, Chairman of the University Curriculum Committee, Liaison to the Board of Regents, Curriculum Assessment and Development, and Coordinator of Academic Programs for University College students. As a professor, Dr. Dana Carpenter served on several SACS reaccreditation teams for the University, chaired the NCAA Certification Committee, chaired the Pre-K-16+ Teacher Education Redesign Committee and worked on international projects in Sierra Leone, West Africa, Jamaica and others. He is a graduate of Leadership Louisiana, serves on the Capital Area Human Services District Board and is an elected member of the City of Baker School Board.