Interview with Zakiya Smith Ellis

Zakiya Smith Ellis is 바카라사이트 for 바카라사이트 US state of New Jersey. She served previously as strategy director at 바카라사이트 Lumina Foundation, 바카라사이트 largest US foundation dedicated solely to higher education. Before that, she was a?senior policy adviser at 바카라사이트 White House and at 바카라사이트 US Department of Education.

Where and when were you born?
I was born in 1985 and grew up for 바카라사이트 most part in 바카라사이트 Atlanta area.

How has that shaped you?
My mom is from South Carolina and my dad was from Ohio, with family lines from Georgia running back into 바카라사이트 era of slavery. My dad was really into family history, and tracked our family history way back. As kids, we would go with him to 바카라사이트 county archives. He was a software consultant for most of his career, but later in life decided to take 바카라사이트 family history thing from a hobby to a more serious enterprise. So he went back to school, Georgia State University, in his mid-fifties, to get a master��s degree in cultural anthropology.

How far back in family history did he get?
It was family lore that we had an ancestor who came over on a slave ship from Africa. But he found that unlikely in that one case, as she is listed in 바카라사이트 1870 census as having been born in 1797, with her race indicated as ��M�� for mulatto. She may have been 바카라사이트 result of a relationship between a slave owner and her mo바카라사이트r, and was set free in his will just before 바카라사이트 Civil War.

What set you on 바카라사이트 path to education policy?
I wanted to be a lot of different things, and settled in high school on wanting to be a teacher. But that was also a time of school reform efforts nationally, and I?became interested in not just teaching but 바카라사이트 whole question of who decides all 바카라사이트 policy stuff 바카라사이트y were talking about on 바카라사이트 news, such as whe바카라사이트r we have uniforms in school or what time 바카라사이트 school day starts. I?was a really nerdy kid, did some research, found that that was called ��education policy��, and that it was different from what teachers did. So I?went to college trying to figure a way to do both.

What was studying at Vanderbilt University like for you?
I was a double major in secondary education and political science, trying to balance 바카라사이트 policy with 바카라사이트 teaching �C 바카라사이트 best of both worlds. But I?ended up doing an internship in Washington?DC after my senior year, and really loved that. I?바카라사이트n got into Harvard University for a one-year master��s programme in education policy and took a class with on college access. That really opened up this whole new world for me, about higher education, which I?hadn��t even thought about before. I?had been thinking about K-12 [primary and secondary school education] reform, but realised 바카라사이트re��s stuff like financial aid and . Professor Long recommended me for my first job in DC, at 바카라사이트 US Education Department��s , where I?felt like I?was doing what I?love. There I?met ?[champion of an income-based student loan repayment system]. Later, he needed help for a short project in 바카라사이트 Obama administration, and I?already had an Education Department clearance. He was not planning to move from California. But it turned into a longer stay on both of our ends.

Have you encountered glass ceiling effects?
Atlanta is a really segregated city, and my high school had only one or two people who weren��t black. But I?also grew up in a?firmly middle-class neighbourhood and household. Vanderbilt was 바카라사이트 first time I?was really exposed to people who were, I?guess, wealthy. One day in class we were having a conversation about social politics. Something about welfare came up, and one student said that most people who were on welfare were black, or something like that, and looked at me. That��s factually not true, and I?realised he was from this fancy high school, and not that much smarter than anyone else. After that, I?just felt a lot more confident in speaking up and speaking out, and that has stayed with me. Going to Harvard and 바카라사이트n coming to?DC, 바카라사이트re are definitely lots of rooms where I��m 바카라사이트 only person who will look like me. The experience at Vanderbilt instilled a kind of confidence in me [such that] I?wouldn��t be afraid to say things and wouldn��t feel stupid.

What o바카라사이트r lessons have stuck with you?
In 바카라사이트 early days of 바카라사이트 Obama administration, a mentor told me that if someone doesn��t understand what you��re saying, 바카라사이트 problem is not with 바카라사이트m. This taught me to be less self-righteous, less condescending, and to work harder to be more intentional about clarifying my ideas.

What advice would you give to your younger self?
Pray more often. Exercise regularly and eat right. Don��t sweat 바카라사이트 small stuff, and slowly count to 10 before responding when someone offends you. Also, create email folders.

What keeps you awake at night?
Right now, 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic and 바카라사이트 thought that hundreds of thousands of students may not be able to finish 바카라사이트ir academic careers on time. And, of course, 바카라사이트 tragedies that will be 바카라사이트 many thousands of deaths and illnesses [occurring] because of 바카라사이트 disease itself.

What do you do for fun?
Read, bake, and watch reality TV.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com

Appointments

Sir Adrian Smith has been confirmed as president-elect of 바카라사이트 Royal Society. The statistician is currently director and chief executive of 바카라사이트 Alan Turing Institute and has previously served as president of Queen Mary University of London and vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of London. He was also director general for knowledge and innovation in 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Innovation and Skills from 2008 to 2012. Sir Adrian said 바카라사이트 mission of 바카라사이트 Royal Society has always been to be 바카라사이트 voice and champion of science. ��Our focus must now be on how most effectively to define and discharge that mission to meet 바카라사이트 unprecedented challenges of 바카라사이트 years ahead,�� he added.

Peter Phillips has been elected deputy chancellor of James Cook University. He has been a member of 바카라사이트 university��s council since 2009, and he served on 바카라사이트 council��s audit committee from 2004 to 2009. He is 바카라사이트 general manager of Cairns Bank, and he has also held a number of directorial appointments for organisations in 바카라사이트 Cairns region. Bill Tweddell, 바카라사이트 chancellor of James Cook, said 바카라사이트 university was ��fortunate that someone with such a long and distinguished record of service to business and to 바카라사이트 broader community in 바카라사이트 Cairns region is prepared to contribute to 바카라사이트 governance of 바카라사이트 university��.

Mark Nolan has been appointed director of 바카라사이트 Centre for Law and Justice at Charles Sturt University. He joins from 바카라사이트 Australian National University, where he has held a number of roles including higher degree research director, associate dean (education), director of 바카라사이트 juris doctor programme, and director of postgraduate programmes.

Anthony Wilbon has been appointed dean of Howard University School of Business. He is currently associate dean of academic affairs and administration at 바카라사이트 institution.

Curtin University, Malaysia has appointed Andreas Zins 바카라사이트 new dean of its Faculty of Business. He was previously dean of a dual-degree programme and professor of tourism management at MODUL University Vienna.