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VOL. 45 | NO. 7 | Friday, February 12, 2021
Fisk University announces 17th president
NASHVILLE (AP) — Fisk University's Board of Trustees has named Vann Newkirk Sr. as the 17th president of the historically Black university in Nashville.
Newkirk has served as interim president since last fall and has been a provost at Fisk since 2018. In his time with the university, he has launched new programs in bioinformatics, data science and social justice, according to a Monday news release from the school. The programs have contributed to enrollment growth and an increase in the "academic caliber of Fisk's incoming student body," according to the release.
Newkirk's plans for Fisk include further enrollment growth, new programs, expanded corporate partnerships and improved student outcomes.
"I am deeply honored to serve as President of Fisk University, and I am confident the best times are still to come for this remarkable Institution," Newkirk said in the release.
Newkirk was appointed interim president when Kevin Rome abruptly left the university last August after an acquaintance sought a temporary restraining order against him.