To help ensure that Vanderbilt’s mission stays on track and is poised for future success, Chancellor Nicholas S. Zeppos has convened a broadly diverse group of alumni leaders called the ’Dores of Distinction. Drawn from a range of Vanderbilt programs, class years, work experiences and cultural backgrounds, the ’Dores of Distinction meet with Vanderbilt administrators on campus once a year and offer perspective and insight on an ongoing basis.
“These individuals are exceptional citizens and proven leaders who are living out the timeless values of Vanderbilt and changing the world in their own unique ways,” Zeppos says. “Through the ’Dores of Distinction initiative, I hope to harness this group’s impeccable expertise, energy and imagination to advance our strategic vision and better represent the broader community that we serve.”
On Feb. 23 and 24 the group met on campus with Zeppos and other university administrators to discuss topics such as the FutureVU land-use plan, Vanderbilt’s international strategy, enhancing faculty voices in the public sphere, and the university’s overall communications strategy.
Serving two-year terms, the members include:
Mohamed Abdel-Kader, MEd’03: executive director, The Stevens Initiative, The Aspen Institute
Samar S. Ali, BS’03, JD’07: attorney, Bass Berry & Sims
Brian K. Armstrong, MD’02: staff physician, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Roslyn Clark Artis, EdD’10: president, Benedict College; member, Presidents’ Advisory Board for Title III Administrators; member, National Board of Directors, United Negro College Fund; board of directors, Council of Independent Colleges
Stephanie Barger, MDiv’06, EMBA’15: co-founder and CEO, Mac & Kale; organizational and strategy consultant
Charleson S. Bell, BE’07, MS’09: president and CEO, BioNanovations; co-founder, Crystal Innovations; chief innovation officer, bluField
Virginia Trotter Betts, MSN’71: president and CEO, HealthFutures Inc.
Kimberly Bryant, BE’89: founder and director, Black Girls CODE; member, National Champions Board, National Girls Collaborative Project; member, K–12 Alliance Executive Council, National Center for Women & Technology
Fabiani A. Duarte, BA’10: assistant staff judge advocate, 49th Wing, Holloman Air Force Base
Kristen Eckstrand, PhD’13, MD’15: child and adolescent psychology fellow, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Kristina Ellis, BS’10: best-selling author of Confessions of a Scholarship Winner and How to Graduate Debt-Free; public speaker
DeLesslin George-Warren, BMus’14: consultant, Catawba Cultural Preservation Project; 2017 Dreamstarter, Running Strong for American Indian Youth; co-founder, Indigenous Youth for Peace
Belinda Grant-Anderson, BS’83, MBA’90: vice president, talent development, AT&T
Joseph D. Greenwell, BMus’94, MEd’97, EdD’18: associate vice chancellor for student affairs and dean of students, University of California–Berkeley
Kito K. Huggins, BS’96, JD’99: director of executive administration, Weil Gotshal and Manges; named to the Vanderbilt University Board of Trust, April 2018
Nathaniel Marshall, BA’12: director of national programs, Young Chicago Authors; visiting assistant professor of English, Northwestern University; co-director, Crescendo Literacy
Constance Marie Mobley, PhD’98, MD’03: assistant professor of surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College, Houston Methodist Hospital; Sherrie and Alan Conover Center for Liver Disease and Transplantation, Houston Methodist; Division of Acute Care Surgery and Surgical Critical Care, Houston Methodist
Mary Njeri Muchendu, MSN’13, DNP’15: vice chair, Christian Association of Kenya
Kimberly Mulligan, PhD’12: director of diversity and multicultural affairs, College of Sciences and Mathematics, Auburn University
Wade Munday, MDiv’08: executive director, Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors
Klarissa Ling Oh, MTS’08: co-founder and education director, OAASIS (Oregon Abuse Advocates and Survivors in Service)
Cynthia Per-Lee, BS’88: general manager of human resources, Cloud and Enterprise Group, Microsoft Corp.
Zakiya Smith, BS’09: secretary of higher education, State of New Jersey
Moses Taylor Jr., BE’69: senior associate, Structural Integrity Associates Inc.
Tiffany Tieu, BMus’12: artist-in-residence, Judson Manor
Demetrius Walker, BA’04: co-founder, dN/Be Apparel; managing partner, dN/Be Entertainment