Paulette Dillard was announced Monday as the 18th president of Shaw University in Raleigh — one of the nation’s oldest historically black colleges and universities.
Dillard had initially been named interim president in July 2017 to replace Tashni-Ann Dubroy, who left Shaw to take an executive position at Howard University in Washington, D.C. Shaw officials said that the board of trustees unanimously made Dillard the permanent president on Saturday after determining during the search process that she was “the ideal selection to lead this institution.”
“We believe her performance to date has demonstrated that she is committed to the transformative education process and more than qualified to lead Shaw University into this next era of excellence,” Joseph N. Bell, Jr., chairman of Shaw’s board of trustees, said in a press release.
Dillard previously has served as Shaw’s vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college of arts and sciences.
Founded in 1865, Shaw describes itself as the first historically black institution of higher education in the South and among the oldest in the nation.
As The News & Observer previously reported, Dilllard is a scientist who has held senior leadership positions at GlaxoSmithKline, Quest Diagnostics and Clark Atlanta University’s Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development. She has more than 25 years of experience in the field of diagnostic laboratory medicine, according to Shaw.
Dillard is a native of Mount Airy who graduated from Barber-Scotia College in Concord. She earned a master’s in business administration from Belmont University’s Jack Massey School of Business and a doctorate in cell biology from Clark Atlanta University.
“I am honored to be selected by the Board of Trustees to continue to lead this great University,” Dillard said in the press release. “I am thankful and committed to intentional leadership of Shaw University as we continue to grow as an institutional leader in the Raleigh community and globally abroad.”
T. Keung Hui: 919-829-4534, @nckhui