ALUMNI NEWS
Alcorn State University Welcomes Dr. Ontario Wooden as the New Provost and SVP of Academic Affairs
atmosphere.
“I, along with my wife, Kimberly, and son, Liam, are honored to be- come a part of the Alcorn family,” said Wooden. “Every person I have spoken with speaks about the “Alcorn family.” It is not lost that I am joining a special team, a unique tradition, and a place full of caring and devoted faculty, staff, and students. I am thrilled to be part of the oldest public historically black land- grant institution in the country. One of my research interests is college student access and success. Continuing this focus at Alcorn is exciting.” “We value Dr. Wooden’s successful experience as a higher education admin- istrator, an accomplished teacher, and a scholar, “said President Nave. “Ontario’s keen academic vision, focus on student success and faculty excellence, com- mitment to access combined with his collaborative approach to leadership and shared governance elevated his can- didacy among a group of over 40 truly stellar candidates for Alcorn’s provost. I am confident he will work well with the leadership team, faculty, and staff to greatly benefit our university community as we continue to advance our national and global reputation.” In addition to getting acquainted with his new team, Wooden is passion- ate about creating more avenues of suc- cess for students to be leaders in today’s evolving society. “I look forward to meeting the fac- ulty, staff, and students. I want to learn everything I can about the institution, the people, the state, and the region. To produce graduates who will become problem solvers, skills-driven, and nimble thinkers in this rapidly chang- ing global society, we must immerse ourselves into where they live, their challenges, opportunities for them, and the cultural traditions that they embody. I am ready to work alongside our fac-
Dr. Ontario S. Wooden (Delta Xi 1998).
F ollowing a nationwide search, a new provost will pave the way for student success and faculty excellence at Alcorn State Uni- versity. Dr. Ontario Wooden (Delta Xi 1998) began his tenure as the University’s provost and senior vice president for academic affairs Tuesday, Sept. 15. As provost, Wooden will be responsible for facilitating the effective and effi- cient delivery of academic and support services across the campus, which in- cludes management and oversight of all academic schools, the registrar, research and graduate studies, 1890 Research/ Extension, Library, Institutional Re- search, and Institutional Effectiveness and Assessment/Accreditation. Wooden will serve as a member of the Presi- dent’s Executive Cabinet and reports directly to President Felecia M. Nave. Wooden comes to Alcorn after serving as associate vice chancellor for Student Success and Academic Out- reach at North Carolina Central Uni- versity (NCCU). In his 12-year career
at NCCU, he has provided leadership in multiple positions that include associate vice chancellor for Innovative, Engaged, and Global Education; interim associate dean of the School of Education; and as- sociate professor of Education. He was also the acting associate vice chancellor for Institutional Research, Effectiveness, and Planning, and served as dean, and associate dean of University College. Wooden partnered as an affiliate graduate faculty in higher education at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock for five years. Further, he served in mul- tiple roles at Albany State University and Indiana University Bloomington (IUB). He earned a doctorate in higher educa- tion from IUB in 2004, which is where he also earned a master’s degree in the same area of study in 2002. Wooden earned a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Albany State University in 2000. During his campus visit, Wooden was impressed with the camaraderie amongst the Alcorn community. He feels excited to further his career in a family-oriented
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