Dr. LaDonna Young brings over 20 years of coaching and professional experience in higher education. Diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging are at the core of her work. As the founding dean of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Mathematics at Southwest Tennessee Community College (Memphis, TN), her office provided vision, strategy, and operational execution for general education, co-requisite education, international studies, study abroad, and the English as a second language program. LaDonna also established the Office of High Impact Practices and Innovation, the framework for the Student Voice Initiative, and the Gatekeepers (to Gateway) Faculty Fellowship program – an evidence-based professional learning model for integrating culturally responsive teaching principles across the humanities and mathematics curriculum.
LaDonna was an active member of the Student Success Council, the Equity & Inclusion Council, and the Achieving the Dream Data Team while also chairing the Courageous Conversations about Race and Social Justice Issues and Equity Audit Working Group. This work helped to lead the college to ATD Leader College Status and the Bellwether Award. Dr. Young finds joy in institutional transformation and designing teaching and learning contexts that affirms students of color’s genius, culture, identities, and humanity.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace Certificate l University of South Florida Muma College of Business
Ed.D. (Higher and Adult Education) | University of Memphis
M.A. (Teaching, Secondary Education) | University of Memphis
B.A. (History / Pre-Law) | Christian Brothers University
Higher Education & Justice, Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion Consultant | Independent Consultant
Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships & Development l University of Virginia, Motivate Lab
Dean, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Mathematics l Southwest Tennessee Community College
Professor, Education & Early Childhood Education l Southwest Tennessee Community College
Department Chair, Education l Southwest Tennessee Community College