Shaw U. Plans President’s Inauguration; Features ‘Women Who Lead’ Luncheon & Peabo Bryson

Raleigh, NC – Shaw University will observe the formal inauguration of Paulette R. Dillard, Ph.D., as the eighteenth president of the historic institution on Thursday, April 25, 2019 with several events during the day.  The inauguration ceremony will take place at the Meymandi Concert Hall in the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts (2 E. South Street) at 2:00 pm; this event is free and open to the public.

Shaw’s Board of Trustees named Dr. Dillard to the position in September 2018; she had served in the interim capacity since June 2017. The inauguration formally ushers in an administration and a campus culture poised to maximize the opportunities afforded the university. “Shaw’s legacy is the story of overcoming all adversity through our defining resilient spirit. Because of the resilience of our past, we are positioned to craft a future filled with unlimited opportunity. I am honored to lead Shaw into that future,” said Dillard.

As part of the day-long celebration, Shaw will host the “Women Who Lead” luncheon honoring NC Chief Justice Cheri Beasley, McDonald’s owner/operator Deborah Holder, and Dallas Mavericks CEO Cynthia Marshall. The luncheon will begin at 11:00 am in the auditorium of Estey Hall on Shaw University’s campus (118 E. South Street).

The celebration culminates in the Inauguration Gala, which will take place at the Raleigh Convention Center ballroom (500 S. Salisbury St.), beginning at 7:00 pm. The featured performer for the Gala is national recording artist and Grammy-award winning singer, Peabo Bryson.

For information on tickets to the Women Who Lead Luncheon or the Inauguration Gala, go to www.shawu.edu/President18 or call 919.546.8430. Dr. Paulette Dillard’s full biographical profile can be found at https://www.shawu.edu/President.

ABOUT SHAW:  Shaw University, located in North Carolina’s vibrant Downtown Raleigh, was founded in 1865 and is the first historically black institution of higher education in the Southern United States. Shaw’s mission is to advance knowledge, facilitate student learning and achievement, enhance the spiritual and ethical values of its students, and transform a diverse community of learners into future global leaders. Learn more at www.shawu.edu.