Portia Holmes Shields is an American academic administrator who served as the seventh president of
Albany State University
Albany State University is a public historically black university in Albany, Georgia. In 2017, Darton State College and Albany State University consolidated to become one university under the University System of Georgia (USG). Albany State Un ...
from 1996 to 2005. She was its first female president. Shields was the interim president of
Tennessee State University
Tennessee State University (Tennessee State, Tenn State, or TSU) is a public historically black land-grant university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, it is the only state-funded historically black university in Tenness ...
from 2011 to 2012.
Life
Holmes earned a B.S. in education from the
District of Columbia Teachers College
The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) is a public historically black land-grant university in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1851 and is the only public university in the city. UDC is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall C ...
.
She completed a M.A. in education at the
George Washington University
, mottoeng = "God is Our Trust"
, established =
, type = Private federally chartered research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.8 billion (2022)
, preside ...
.
She earned a Ph.D. in early childhood and elementary education at the
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of Mary ...
.
Her dissertation was titled, ''The Relationship Between the Use of Black and Standard English Features in a School Setting and the Oral Reading, Silent Reading, and Listening Comprehension Levels of Black Title One Third Grade Children''.
From 1989 to 1993, Holmes was the director of medical and biomedical communications at the
Howard University College of Medicine
The Howard University College of Medicine (HUCM) is an academic division of Howard University that grants the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), Ph.D., M.S., and the M.PH. HUCM is located at the Howard University Health Sciences Center in Washington, D.C ...
.
She served as the dean of the Howard University school of education from 1993 to 1996.
On July 9, 1996, she became the seventh president and the first female president at
Albany State University
Albany State University is a public historically black university in Albany, Georgia. In 2017, Darton State College and Albany State University consolidated to become one university under the University System of Georgia (USG). Albany State Un ...
.
She served in the role until June 30, 2005, when she became a consultant with the
University System of Georgia
The University System of Georgia (USG) is the government agency that includes 26 public institutions of higher learning in the U.S. state of Georgia. The system is governed by the Georgia Board of Regents. It sets goals and dictates general ...
.
From 2007 to 2009, she was the chief executive officer and chief academic officer of
Concordia College Alabama
Concordia College Alabama was a Private historically black college associated with the Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod and located in Selma, Alabama. It was the only historically black college among the ten colleges and universities in the ...
.
Shields was appointed as interim president of
Tennessee State University
Tennessee State University (Tennessee State, Tenn State, or TSU) is a public historically black land-grant university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1912, it is the only state-funded historically black university in Tenness ...
effective January 2, 2011.
She succeeded
Melvin N. Johnson
Melvin N. Johnson is an American academic administrator. He served as the seventh president of Tennessee State University, a historically black public university in Nashville, Tennessee, from 2005 to 2011.
Early life
Johnson grew up in Savannah, ...
.
Under the terms of her contract, she was not allowed to apply for the permanent position of university president.
Shields made sweeping changes to the university which led to a more involved and active alumni and staff.
She served until 2012 and was succeeded by
Glenda Glover
Glenda Baskin Glover, Ph.D, JD, CPA, began serving as the eighth president of Tennessee State University on January 2, 2013. Early life and education
Glover was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and was raised in the Weaver Road vicinity near Boxtown. ...
.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shields, Portia Holmes
Living people
Year of birth missing (living people)
Place of birth missing (living people)
University of the District of Columbia alumni
George Washington University alumni
University of Maryland, College Park alumni
Howard University faculty
Albany State University faculty
Concordia College Alabama faculty
Tennessee State University presidents
African-American women academic administrators
20th-century African-American women
21st-century African-American women
20th-century African-American academics
21st-century African-American academics
20th-century American women academics
21st-century American women academics
Women heads of universities and colleges