Five new members have been appointed to serve on the advisory board for the College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities at North Carolina Central University (NCCU).
The five appointed by the college’s interim dean, Carlton Wilson, Ph.D., are Samuel T. Rhoades, Debra Walker King, Ph.D., John White II, Brandon Winford, Ph.D., and Monique Perry-Graves, Ed.D.
Reappointed to a second four-year term were Barbara Redmon, Ph.D; Gayla R. Bivens, DDS; Audwin A. Helton; Drew H. Brown; Warachal E. Faison, MD; Edward M. Francis Jr., Ph.D.; and Brandon L. Paris.
Redmon was elected to serve as chairperson for the upcoming term, Bivens as vice chairman and Helton as secretary.
Rhoades is the founder and CEO of HBCU Forever Foundation Inc., an organization that provides support to Historically Black Colleges and Universities by through scholarships and other resources to assist with faculty and staff development and research opportunities. The Virginia native and military veteran has over 40 years of experience in fundraising, higher education administrative management, career development, university research and Title III programs. Rhoades received a bachelor’s degree in Psycology and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from NCCU.
Walker King is as a professor in the Department of English at the University of Florida. She has also served in leadership roles at the university, including associate dean for the Humanities Program within the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and associate provost for Academic Affairs and Faculty Development. King’s accomplishments include several presentations, articles and publications. In 2008, she wrote “African Americans and the Culture of Pain,” and also published “Deep Talk: Reading African American Literary Names and Naming” in 1998. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from NCCU and a master’s degree in English from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She has a doctorate in African American Studies from Emory University. Walker King has been honored as a Patricia Harris Fellow, Ford Fellow and Schomburg Scholar. She is also an ordained minister of the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
White is associate regional director at the American Petroleum Institute. He previously worked as legislative director for the North Carolina Department of Commerce. He has worked on several election campaigns and is an accomplished public policy professional. White also worked as vice-president of public policy at the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce and as a legislative assistant to Congresswoman Alma Adams. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from NCCU.
Winford is on the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Knoxville as an associate professor of history. His area of
interest includes late 19th and 20th century United States and African American history, with a specialization in civil rights and black business history. Winford is the author of “John Hervey Wheeler, Black Banking, and the Economic Struggle for Civil Rights” published in 2019 and is co-founder of the Fleming-Morrow Endowment in African American History. It provides funding for an annual lecture and student prizes in the fields of civil rights and military history. Winford earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree in history from NCCU. He also has a doctorate in United States history from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Perry-Graves leads the Enrollment Services Division at York Technical College in Rock Hill, S.C. Previously, she served as the college’s director of Strategic Communications and Marketing and a public information officer. Perry-Graves also has worked as an English professor at the college. Perry-Graves received a bachelor’s degree in English from NCCU and a master’s degree in strategic communications and leadership from Seton Hall University. She also earned a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Florida.
The NCCU College of Arts, Social Sciences and Humanities is where cultural and intellectual diversity meet. From history to graphic design, it provides an opportunity for self-inquiry, research and career exploration. The college offers 20 undergraduate programs, seven master’s programs and a Ph.D. in Integrated Biosciences.
