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Claflin University will host its 155th Matriculation Day Convocation at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, September 12 in the W.V. Middleton Fine Arts Center. The speaker for this event is Dr. Hakim J. Lucas, president and CEO of Virginia Union University. Matriculation Day Convocation symbolizes the official opening of the new school year.
Hakim J. Lucas is the 13th President & CEO of Virginia Union University. He is a strong advocate for student-driven policies and the inclusiveness of students and faculty. He is also a strong believer in the importance and significance of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and works to ensure their viable sustainability. With more than two decades of experience in higher education, Dr. Lucas’ success includes fundraising, strategic planning, and the engagement and retention of students in challenging educational experiences.
Dr. Lucas earned a bachelor’s degree from Morehouse College, a master’s degree in teaching (History) from Tufts University, an Executive MBA from Stetson University, and a Master of Divinity (Church History) from Union Theological Seminary at Columbia University. He earned his doctoral degree in education from Fordham University. He is a transcendent leader who has chosen education as his form of advocating for social justice. As such, he is active with several advisory councils and organizations including Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Prince Hall Free Masonry, and 100 Black Men.
As a leader in the research of HBCUs, Dr. Lucas is the editor-in-chief of a series of publications on HBCUs for Information Age Publishing. He is also a senior research fellow with the Southern Education Foundation. In June 2022, his latest bookModern Heroics: How HBCUs Navigated the COVID-19 Pandemic, was released. The book, co-edited with Dr. Herman J. Felton (Wiley College), shares detailed reflections from 10 HBCU Presidents about how they developed and implemented plans to mitigate and to combat the impact of COVID-19 on their institutions and on African American higher education.
You can watch the 155th Matriculation Day Convocation live on Facebook on September 12, at 11 a.m. by clicking here.
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