Dr. Shawn Ricks has been named chair of the Department of Leadership and Educational Studies (LES) at Appalachian State University’s Reich College of Education (RCOE). Her appointment begins in July.
About her goals for the department, Ricks said, “I am excited about exploring options for collaboration with other departments and the community, as well as the creative ways Leadership and Educational Studies can best prepare students for a variety of leadership roles in response to our rapidly changing national landscape.”
“I am excited about exploring options for collaboration with other departments and the community, as well as the creative ways Leadership and Educational Studies can best prepare students for a variety of leadership roles in response to our rapidly changing national landscape.”
Ricks earned a Ph.D. in educational leadership and cultural foundations from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and an M.Ed. in counselor education and a B.A. in African and African American Studies, both from the Pennsylvania State University.
Ricks comes to Appalachian from Salem College where she served as Assistant Vice President of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. She has also served as an associate professor of counseling and human services at Old Dominion University and chair and associate professor of human service studies at Winston-Salem State University.
“My first impression of Appalachian State University was from a parent's perspective,” said Ricks. “My oldest daughter graduated from Appalachian in 2010 and had a wonderful experience. As a parent, sending her first ‘baby’ to school, I was impressed by the care and professionalism of the faculty and staff. She has great memories of her time at Appalachian and loves her alma mater!”
“Appalachian is well-known and respected for its ability to create community, develop leaders and foster innovative thought. I am excited to be part of a community that forefronts issues of social justice and equity, and is committed to graduating well-rounded global citizens,” she noted.
“Appalachian is well-known and respected for its ability to create community, develop leaders and foster innovative thought. I am excited to be part of a community that forefronts issues of social justice and equity, and is committed to graduating well-rounded global citizens.”
Ricks’s research centers around the mental health and wellness of Black women in higher education; racial trauma and education; and living and learning in a "post-racial" America.
Ricks is originally from Philadelphia, and prior to moving to North Carolina 20 years ago, she lived in Boulder, Colorado. When asked to share something interesting about yourself, she said, “My dad is a twin, his mom was a twin, and I have twin siblings; it's supposed to skip generations--I know!!”
She loves reading and tennis, and she is beginning to dabble in the yoga world.
Shawn Ricks
