Administration

Dr. Leslie N. Pollard, an alumnus of Oakwood University – who also once served as pastor of the campus’ Seventh-day Adventist Church – was named the 11th president of the 114-year-old institution on November 1. He is expected to assume his new position on January 3, 2011, and relocate to the school’s campus in Huntsville, Alabama.

Pollard was selected from an original pool of 24 candidates and three finalists. The two other finalists were Gina Spivey Brown, Ph.D., and Bertram L. Melbourne, Ph.D. Brown, the only female finalist, serves as Dean of the School of Health Professions, Science, and Wellness at Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Maryland. Melbourne is Professor of Biblical Language and Literature at Howard University School of Divinity in Washington, D.C.

Replacing Baker, who had served more than 14 years as Oakwood’s president, was not an simple task. Provost Mervyn Warren served as interim president as the school worked with the Myers McRae executive search and consulting firm, which specializes in higher education and is headquartered in Macon, Georgia. A search committee reviewed the 24 confirmed applications that were under consideration. The committee was comprised of representatives from Oakwood’s Board of Trustees, administration, faculty, staff, and students, the school said. It hosted four separate campus forums last week to allow students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, and members of the local community to pose questions directly to the final three candidates.

Pollard’s commitment to excellence is seen in his personal quest for education. He earned a B.A. degree from Oakwood University and an M.Div. degree from the Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University. He earned the D.Min. degree in Preaching and Worship from Claremont School of Theology. Seeking higher-level fiscal and administrative development, Pollard earned an M.B.A. degree in Organizational Management from the La Sierra University School of Business. He graduated from Andrews University with a Ph.D. degree in New Testament Language and Literature, with specialization in apocalyptic literature.

Pollard's 32 years of leadership reflect local, national, and international service. He has served as senior pastor, a youth pastor, a university chaplain, a health-care program administrator, and an educational administrator at LLU. As a clergyman, Pollard has functioned as an evangelist, professor, ministerial educator, and leadership development facilitator to the General Conference family. He regularly leads denominational and non-denominational leadership and mission conferences all over the world.

Pollard's orientation to fiscal leadership emerges from his experience as senior pastor of major congregations, from administering university budgets and grants, and from his graduate business education.

Pollard is a prolific writer, speaker, and engaged scholar, on the subjects of leadership, cultural competence, and mission. He has been married to the former Prudence LaBeach for 31 years. They are the parents of two daughters, who are both graduates of Oakwood University.

Also see Office of the President for more information >>

-- Adventist Review

Dr. R. Timothy McDonald was born and reared in Pittsburgh, Penn., the oldest of four children born to Ralph and Harriett McDonald. When he was a teenager, the family joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church as the result of an evangelistic campaign.

McDonald graduated from Oakwood College with a bachelor's degree in elementary education; from Atlanta University with master's degree in education and supervision; and from the University of Miami with a doctorate in higher education administration.

Dr. McDonald has served at all levels of education within the Adventist church and at secular institutions as well. Currently, he currently serves as provost and senior vice president at Oakwood University. Previously he worked at Oakwood as director of the Adult and Continuing Education Program (LEAP). Prior to that, he was vice chancellor at the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton (UEAB), in Kenya. Other administrative posts included: vice president for Information Technology, and vice president of Advancement and Development, at Oakwood University; director of development at Morehouse School of Medicine; director of development at Baltimore County Community College; and The Ohio State University. Earlier, he served as director of education for the Columbia Union Conference of SDA, and vice president for Academic Affairs at Barber Scotia College. He has also worked as a teacher and principal in several places, including Greater Atlanta Adventist Academy, DuPont Park School in Washington, D.C., and the Larchwood SDA School in Philadelphia, Penn.

C. Garland Dulan, Ph.D., is the new vice president for Academic Affairs, succeeding Dr. John Anderson, who has returned to full-time teaching after nine productive years leading the Academic Affairs Division.

As an undergraduate student, Dulan attended Pacific Union College, Oakwood College, and Union College. He holds a bachelor's degree in sociology from Union College, and M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in sociology (social psychology and the sociology of education) from the University of California, Riverside. Dulan has also served as a post-doctoral research fellow at Northeastern University in Boston, Mass.

In his 38 years of Seventh-day Adventist denominational service, Dulan has served in teaching and/or in administrative positions at Southern Adventist University, Oakwood University, and La Sierra University. In 1999 he accepted the call as associate director of the Education Department at the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists World Headquarters. His sociology of education background and cross cultural research assisted him while serving as General Conference educational liaison to the North American, South Pacific, Trans-European, and West Central Africa Divisions, coordinating the accreditation of 34 Seventh-day Adventist higher education institutions. In 2003 he was elected to serve as General Conference Education Director. In this capacity Dr. Dulan served on all six General Conference higher education boards: Andrews University, Loma Linda University, Griggs University, Adventist University of Africa (Nairobi, Kenya), Adventist International Institute of Advanced Studies (Philippines), and Oakwood University.

Although he "retired" in July 2010, Dr. Dulan's love of Christian education led him to accept the call back into service as Vice President for Academic Affairs at Oakwood University.

Dr. Dulan is married to Dr. Jeannette Rogers Dulan, recently retired professor of Education at Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Md. They have three adult children.

Dean David Knight was born in St. Michaels, Barbados and spent his formative years in Toronto, Canada. He discovered his passion for working with young people at Kingsway College in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Over his 30-year career, he has also worked in student services at Andrews University, Berrien Springs, Mich.; Walla Walla University, College Place, Wa.; Southwestern Adventist University, Keene, Tex.; and now, he's proud to say, Oakwood University in Huntsville, Ala.

Knight graduated from Andrews University with a Bachelor in Physical Education/Health and a Masters in School Counseling. His career took flight when he became assistant dean of boys at Kingsway College, in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. He knew after his first year that working in student services would become a passion and not just a career. Knight sharpened his interpersonal and communication skills as a result of delivering weekly presentations at Kingsway.

Progressing to the university level as the associate dean of men at Andrews University required him to multi-task, managing both the health club and the custodial department of the men's residence hall, involving budgeting, programming and supervision. As the dean of men at Walla Walla University, Knight and his staff were able to positively impact more than 450 young men to be responsible, respectable, and accountable.

He and his wife Juliet Knight are the proud parents of two adult children, Jonathan and Jessica. When time permits, Dean Knight loves to play golf, read, play racquetball, lift weights, and write. His focus in life is to be ready for the second coming of Christ and inspire our young people to seek the value of a holistic lifestyle.