Dr. Maria Arvelo Lumpkin Appointed St. Augustine’s University Interim President
Raleigh, NC – Dr. Maria Arvelo Lumpkin has been appointed to the role of Interim President at Saint Augustine’s University the Board of Trustees announced today (March 10). The appointment is effective immediately.
According to the Board of Trustees Chairman The Honorable Chief Justice James C. Perry, “The Saint Augustine’s University (SAU) Board of Trustees is pleased to report that Dr. Maria A. Lumpkin has been named the Interim President of Saint Augustine’s University.” He added that “Dr. Lumpkin is the youngest person to lead the university in its 153-year history.
In her previous role as Chief Operating Officer for the University, Dr. Lumpkin has already proven to be a transformational leader. One of her most notable accomplishments is leading the team that procured a $3.5 million dollar Emergency Assistance grant from the United States Department of Education. Throughout her career, Dr. Lumpkin has brought a student-centered approach to her work and the institutions she has served.
Dr. Lumpkin’s experience and credentials are extensive. She received her bachelor’s degree, cum laude from Saint Augustine’s College, now University, in 1996; a Master of Urban Studies degree from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia; and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy from Clark Atlanta University. She holds certification as a Case Teaching instructor by the Institute for Case Teaching at the Harvard University School of Divinity. Her decisive leadership style and genuine care for the University make her an ideal choice to continue the legacy.”
LaShon Knowles the student member of the Board of Trustees said, “The University is fortunate to have another Falcon at the helm of SAU. I personally know Dr. Lumpkin cares about students and our success is her priority. She has had a significant impact on campus since her return as Chief Operating Officer and I am thrilled to see her continue to lead us to new heights.”
Attorney Tina Herbert class of 1996 said, “I am beyond excited to have Dr. Lumpkin as the interim President. From our days on campus in the 1990s, she has always shown great love and devotion for Saint Augustine’s. In the years since she has worked in higher education and has seen what other institutions do to be successful. I believe she will bring all of that institutional knowledge, as well as her education and leadership skills to the University and help us go to another level.
Dr. Lumpkin brings to the university over 20 years of higher education experience as a student-centered professional and administrator. Her professional background includes serving in progressive leadership roles in two of the largest university systems in the nation — the University System of Georgia (USG) and the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). She also worked in the Atlanta University Center (AUC), the only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) consortium in the country.
Most recently she served as the special assistant to the president, and as the inaugural executive director of student retention and the center for scholar communities at Shippensburg University. She has also provided outstanding leadership as Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at Atlanta Metropolitan State College, Assistant Dean of Students at North Carolina Central University, Assistant Dean of Students at Spelman College.
She has also worked in key leadership positions at Albany State University, and as Director of Student Involvement and co-director of the Global Civic Engagement Program at Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC), and Special Assistant to the Vice President for Community Engagement and Director of the Mercer University Center for Community Development and Service Learning.
A signature feature of her career has been her work in the area of diversity and multicultural education, student success, and retention. She has developed several transformative programs including the Common Reading Initiative at Georgia Gwinnett College, the Social Justice Living and Learning Community and Student Affairs Global Experience (SAGE) at Spelman, which was featured the 2007 BET documentary, Spelman Spring Break Diaries. This was a memoir of her travels with students from Morehouse and Spelman College to work with the Women’s Health Education and Prevention Strategies Alliance’s 10,000 Girls Program in Senegal, West Africa.
A professional grant writer, Dr. Lumpkin established the President’s Task Force on Civic Engagement and procured over $5 million dollars in private grants from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Coca- Cola, Target Foundation, Perkins Ponder Foundation, and the Federal Home Loan Bank to pilot and support several University-community partnership programs and catalyze major community development at Mercer University; and she has authored over $10 million dollars in Federal Grants, including TRiO (Upward Bound, Educational Talent Search, AmeriCorps National Service, and HOPE IV).
Dr. Lumpkin has been active on the Bibb County Workforce Investment Board, Goodwill Industries of Central Georgia Good Vocations Board, the Food Bank of Middle Georgia, and the international board of Africa’s Children’s Fund, the Atlanta Metropolitan State College Foundation, and the Clark Atlanta University Guild. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, The Links, Incorporated, and is a 2004 graduate of Leadership Macon (GA), a 2006 graduate of Leadership Georgia and a 2015 graduate of Leadership Women America.
A native of Columbia, South Carolina, Lumpkin’s dissertation research project was entitled “Is There Learning in Service-Learning? An Examination of the Effectiveness of Service Learning Programs at HBCU’s as Perceived by Undergraduate Students.” A seasoned world traveler, Dr. Lumpkin has traveled to every continent, except Antarctica for humanitarian and educational purposes. She has used her personal experience in the international diaspora to inspire and fund over 500 students’ education abroad opportunities. The University is proud to have Dr. Lumpkin return to her alma mater and continue her service in this history-making leadership role as the youngest Interim President and the only female alumna to serve in this position.
Dr. Lumpkin said of her appointment, “I am beyond thrilled to lead the “Falcon Nation” during this exciting period of growth in the life of the university. My appointment is especially meaningful to me, because I am a daughter of this great institution, and I know first-hand the transformational impact Saint Augustine’s education. I am supported by a treasure trove of dynamic faculty, staff, students, and Board of Trustees in co-creating a dynamic learning environment.”
About Saint Augustine’s University
Founded in 1867 by the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, the mission of Saint Augustine’s University is to sustain a learning community in which students can prepare academically, socially and spiritually for leadership in a complex, diverse and rapidly changing world.