Kim Whitehead is interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at Mississippi University for Women. Dr. Whitehead, a professor of English and religious studies, has been a faculty member with the university since 2003. She has held several leadership roles at MUW, including director of the Honors College, director of the Nancy Yates Fellowship, interim director of the Student Success Center, founding director of the Women’s College, and senior associate vice president for academic affairs.
“I am honored to serve in this role and grateful for the trust placed in me during this period of transition,” said Dr. Whitehead. “I look forward to collaborating with our exceptional faculty and staff as we continue our work of equipping students to achieve transformative outcomes and thrive in an increasingly complex world.”
Dr. Whitehead is a graduate of Jacksonville State University in Alabama, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in English and political science. She holds a master of divinity degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, and a doctorate from Emory University in Atlanta.
Preselfannie E. Whitfield McDaniels was promoted from interim provost to permanent provost and vice president for academic affairs at Jackson State University in Mississippi. A faculty member since 1999, Dr. McDaniels currently teaches as a professor of English. Before she was interim provost, she served as dean of the division of graduate studies for seven years. She has also served as chair of the department of English, foreign languages, and speech communication. Her research interests include portfolio and capstone pedagogy, service-learning integration, twentieth-century American literature, and African American women’s literature.
“Jackson State University has shaped my life as a student, scholar, teacher, and administrator,” said Dr. McDaniels. “I am grateful to continue serving our students and faculty as provost. My focus is to help strengthen the academic pathways, programs, and supports that allow students to complete their degrees and leave JSU prepared for meaningful work, graduate study, and service.”
Dr. McDaniels is an alumna of Jackson State University, where she majored in English. She holds a master’s degree in English from Mississippi College and a Ph.D. in English from Louisiana State University.
Caroline R. Sherman is the new provost of McDaniel College in Westminster, Maryland. Dr. Sherman comes to her new role from the Catholic University of America, where she was vice provost for academic administration and dean of graduate studies. Earlier in her tenure there, she held various roles in the School of Arts and Sciences, including vice dean, senior associate dean, and associate dean for faculty. An associate professor of history, Dr. Sherman specializes in early modern intellectual history.
“I am honored to join the McDaniel community and excited to partner with faculty, staff, and students in advancing the McDaniel College mission,” said Dr. Sherman. “I believe strongly in the value of a liberal arts education and look forward to building on McDaniel’s many strengths, including its commitment to personalized education. I am eager to support faculty in their teaching and scholarship while helping students prepare for meaningful lives and careers.”
Dr. Sherman is a summa cum laude graduate of Harvard University, where she majored in history. She earned her master’s and doctoral degrees in history from Princeton University.
Tywana Chenault Hemby is provost and executive vice president for academic services at Paine College in Augusta, Georgia. Dr. Hemby comes to the college with more than two decades of experience in higher education leadership, faculty development, and institutional transformation. Most recently, she served as the first African American dean of social sciences at Columbia College in South Carolina. Earlier in her career, she was dean of the School of Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences at Voorhees University in Denmark, South Carolina. She has a wide-range of scholarly interests, including effective teaching strategies, utilizing technology in education, addressing racial trauma in educational spaces, fostering student achievement, and promoting critical literacy.
“Paine College is not simply an institution — it is a mission. I am deeply honored to join this community and to serve its students, faculty, and the greater Augusta community,” said Dr. Hemby. “Rooted in Paine’s legacy of ‘Enter to Learn; Depart to Serve,’ I am committed to cultivating academic excellence, collaborating across our community, transforming our institutional culture, and serving with everything I have.”
Dr. Hemby received a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Voorhees University, a master’s degree in psychology and counseling from Troy University in Alabama, and a Ph.D. in psychology from Capella University.
LaToya Mason was promoted to provost at Lake Michigan College, where she has taught for the past 13 years. Prior to her interim appointment, Dr. Mason served as dean of health sciences education at the college. In that role, she helped secure funding to expand health science program offerings, which led to the development of a physical therapist assistant program and a new lab at the college’s South Haven campus. She has also partnered with local health care organizations to establish apprenticeship pathways for students.
“I am honored to serve Lake Michigan College in this role,” said Dr. Mason. “Our students, faculty, and the communities we serve deserve the very best, and I am committed to leading with purpose, integrity, and a deep dedication to excellence and belonging.”
Dr. Mason holds a master’s degree in health administration and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. She received her Ph.D. in education from Capella University.