Roslyn Clark Artis, the Florida Memorial University president who has dominated recent HBCU national headlines with her community outreach efforts and rumored candidacy for a high-profile presidency, was last week named as president of Benedict College. She will be the first woman to hold the position at the 147-year-old institution, beginning on Sept. 1.
In a release, university officials highlighted Dr. Artis’ achievements over her four-year tenure at the school, including the development of the university’s strategic planning and grant writing productivity building processes, a 20% increase in unrestricted gifts including a $3.8 million gift – the largest in school history.
In May, she attracted national attention for awarding a posthumous degree to Trayvon Martin, the unarmed black teenager murdered in Sanford, FL in 2012 whose death sparked a national movement against police violence and disproportionate policing of black communities.
Weeks after the event, Dr. Clark Artis made headlines in Jackson, MS., where she was identified as the likely preferred candidate for the Jackson State University presidency. Her potential inclusion in the search drew criticism from alumni, resulting in the unpopular appointment of Mississippi Valley State University President William Bynum as JSU’s new campus leader.
