Message to the Campus

Dear Kingsborough community members,

 

I am writing to let you know about a critical transition taking place in the college's senior leadership. Joanne Russell, our Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost, is leaving to assume the role of provost at Mesa Community College in Phoenix, Arizona. Her last day with Kingsborough Community College will be Wednesday, May 29th. 

 

Dr. Russell has served as the Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost since January 2016, and was appointed to the position of Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost in 2020.  There are so many areas in which she has had a major impact, among them: leading KCC’s successful participation in the Aspen Community College Excellence Award; restructuring the department overseeing health programs, adding new degrees to meet needs in the field, and securing resources to support program growth and expansions; and improving access to KCC for adult learners through the creation of the successful FLEX program. I have personally been impressed by her sophistication and depth of knowledge in program assessment and data-supported practices, and have greatly enjoyed getting to work with her. 

 

Effective Thursday, May 30th, Dr. Sharon Warren Cook will become Interim Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. I also greatly appreciate her willingness to do so and look forward to working with her in this role.

 

In addition to her familiarity with Kingsborough, Dr. Cook is also highly qualified for the specific responsibilities of the position. She joined the college in 2017 as the Dean of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. Since that time, she has occupied the leadership positions of Associate Provost, Chief Student Affairs Officer, and most recently, Vice President of Student Affairs. Over the past 30 years, Dr. Cook has served a variety of institutions in a multitude of capacities, including Provost at West Virginia State University, Associate Dean for Research and Institutional Effectiveness College of Health and Human Sciences, and Department Chair of undergraduate and graduate Social Work Departments at North Carolina A & T State University.

 

Most recently, she led the assessment and re-structuring of several areas within the division of Student Affairs at Kingsborough to stabilize operations, increase efficiency, and heighten the impact and delivery of student services.

 

Dr. Cook holds a PhD in Curriculum and Teaching with a specialty in Educational Research Methodology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, a Master’s of Social Work degree with a concentration in Management and Community Organizing from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from North Carolina Central University.

 

I know that you will join me in thanking Dr. Russell for her leadership and tremendous achievements while at Kingsborough, and in supporting Dr. Cook in taking on this important position on an interim basis. 

 

Regards,

Suri