JCSU designates alumna Valerie Kinloch as president

COURTESY JOHNSON C. SMITH UNIVERSITY

Valerie Kinloch, a 1996 Johnson C. Smith University graduate and dean of the University of Pittsburgh's School of Education, has been designated the school's 15th president. She starts on Aug. 1.

Valerie Kinloch is returning to Johnson C. Smith University as its next president.

Kinloch, a 1996 graduate, takes over effective Aug. 1 and is the second woman to lead JCSU, which enrolls approximately 1,100 students. Dorothy Cowser Yancy was president from 1994-2008.

A Charleston, South Carolina, native, Kinloch is dean of the School of Education at the University of Pittsburgh, where she oversees nearly 1,000 students and 300 full- and part-time faculty and staff. In addition to her duties recruiting faculty and fundraising, Kinloch has overseen more than $9 million in capital projects and renovations.

She previously was associate dean and professor at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and taught at Teachers College-Columbia University in New York City and the University of Houston-Downtown.

“It’s a dream come true to be invited to lead one of the finest Historically Black Colleges and Universities in America – and at the same time come home,” Kinloch said in a statement. “My years at JCSU were some of the best of my life. This university set me on course to grow beyond anything I could imagine, so it is incredibly gratifying to return and give back to the institution that helped make me who I am.”

Kinloch, who has been on the board of trustees for two years, recused herself during the search process as well as the final vote. She was unanimously approved by trustees. Chairman Steven Boyd, a 1979 JCSU graduate who will resign his position July 1 to become interim president until Kinloch starts, said her familiarity with the school as a student and trustee will serve her well as president.

“She understands the university both from student perspective, from an educator’s perspective looking in and from a perspective of the Board of Trustees,” he said. “We feel confident that Dr. Kinloch is the candidate that gets the fastest start and has the highest ceiling.”

Kinloch succeeds Clarence Armbrister, who led the university for five years. During his tenure, Armbrister helped raise the university’s public profile and secured $83 million through the Mayor’s Racial Equity Initiative to fund the strategic plan adopted by the board in 2021.

Kinloch said she wants to build awareness among students, families, and funders as well as re-imagine curriculum, elevate faculty and staff and increase alumni engagement.

“We need to make space for innovation and for different types of learning – not just inside of classrooms but also through internships, experiential engagements, and job placements with businesses, organizations and community groups with whom we have deep relationships,” she said. “We have to support critical thinking and provide an education that prepares students for the careers they want and that the community needs. We also have to encourage students to pursue even higher forms of education.”

Kinloch earned a bachelor’s degree in English and literature at JCSU and master’s and doctorate degrees from Wayne State University in Detroit. She has published nine books and Education Week named her to its 2023 list of most influential U.S. scholars. She was previously president of the National Council of Teachers of English.

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