Kenya Tyson, who since 2022 has served as senior associate provost, has been named vice provost for strategic initiatives, Provost David Kotz ’86 has announced. She officially began in the role on July 1.
“Kenya has been a key strategic partner in the Office of the Provost, guiding several critical committees and programs, and supporting operations across the provost division,” Kotz says. “I am grateful for her insight, wisdom, and advice as we have navigated many complex transitions and policy updates.”
In addition to continuing to serve as chief adviser to the provost and overseeing academic compliance, institutional research, resource planning, and operations, in the new role Tyson now oversees a centralized digital and online learning team led by Erin DeSilva, associate provost for digital and online learning, and Joshua Kim, assistant provost for online learning strategy.
“I’m excited about this opportunity to advance top priorities of the provost’s office, including Dartmouth’s important work using digital technology online and in the classroom to enhance learning and the student experience,” says Tyson.
An activist, artist, and teacher, Tyson—who holds a JD from Delaware Law School, a master’s of science in criminal justice from the University of Cincinnati, and a bachelor’s degree from Winston-Salem State University—is an expert on social justice who has consulted with government agencies, universities, and corporations around the country and the world.
Before Dartmouth, she was assistant provost at The New School in New York and associate dean for academic programs and student services at Rutgers University’s School of Criminal Justice. In addition, Tyson is the founder and executive director of The Black Massacre Project, an independent public research center that brings scholars, activists, and community members together to explore the impact of race-based violence in America.
She also serves on the board of the Descendants of Rosewood Foundation, which honors the legacy of an African American community in Florida that was all but destroyed by a racist mob in 1923.
Among many honors, Tyson has received a Fulbright Scholarship, been named a fellow of the Higher Education Leadership Foundation, won the Frederic Milton Thrasher Award from the National Gang Crime Research Center, and received a Martin Luther King Jr. Champion for Justice Award from the governor of New Jersey.
She is also a professionally trained musician in the classical and jazz traditions who has toured internationally and who integrates her musical practice into her research, teaching, and activism.