Talladega College President Dr. Gregory Vincent announced that Dr. Pernella Rowena Deams has returned to the institution to serve as senior vice president for student life and success and United Negro College Fund (UNCF) transformation officer. She will also hold the rank of professor of psychology.
Having served as a department chair/associate professor of psychology at Talladega from 2015 to 2019, Dr. Deams stated that returning to campus feels like “coming home.” Prior to rejoining Talladega on July 15, 2022, she was vice president for student engagement and campus life at Kentucky State University, where she was named a Shining Star of the Semester in 2019. Her previous administrative experience includes serving as dean of student leadership, conduct, and health at Kentucky State University and as department head/associate professor of sociology and psychology at Grambling State University.
“Dr. Deams is a passionate advocate for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and she understands the vital importance of maintaining a supportive environment where students can thrive as they pursue academic excellence,” Dr. Vincent said. “Her expertise, enthusiasm, and proven commitment to transforming the lives of HBCU students make her ideal for this position.”
Dr. Deams previously served as a Tennessee Board of Regents academic auditor and is currently a Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) peer evaluator. In addition, she provides executive-level service as a newly appointed member of the Black Alliance for Colleges and Employers (BACE) Board and National Executive Council.
“I love Talladega College, and I am extremely excited about Dr. Vincent’s vision for the institution. Both of my parents, my sisters, my husband, and one of my nephews are HBCU graduates. My two oldest children and another nephew are HBCU students. It’s difficult to put into words what Historically Black Colleges and Universities mean to me. I’ve spent time on HBCU campuses since I was a child, and my parents often talked about their college experience,” said Dr. Deams, who is herself an alumna of two HBCUs.
“Like my parents, I benefited from having professors who poured so much into me. I want my students to experience the level of support that I experienced. I believe in meeting students where they are and helping them reach their maximum potential. This is why I have an open door policy. Some students think of me as an aunt or mother because I constantly nurture and encourage them to remain in school and pursue advanced degrees.”
Dr. Deams graduated magna cum laude from Southern University and A&M College, completing dual Bachelor of Science degrees in both psychology and sociology. She went on to earn a Master of Science in counseling psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi and a Doctor of Philosophy in counseling psychology at Tennessee State University.
Her clinical education includes internship placements at Vanderbilt University Psychological and Counseling Center, Vanderbilt Adult Psychiatry Center, and University of Memphis Center for Counseling, Learning, and Testing. She recently completed certifications in post-crisis leadership and diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace through the University of South Florida - Muma College of Business and the Women in Education Leadership Program through the Harvard University Graduate School of Education. She is a fellow of the Iota Cohort of the Higher Education Leadership Foundation (HELF) - Leadership Institute and the Bluegrass Higher Education Consortium.
Dr. Deams was initiated in the Alpha Tau Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and is a member of the Frankfort Alumnae Chapter. She is a recipient of diverse honors, including the Southern University Alumni Federation’s Forty Under 40 Award (2019).
She and her husband, Dr. Verontae L. Deams, have four children.
