Interview with Lincoln University President Kevin D Rome Sr., Ph D. @LUPresidentRome
Dr. Kevin D. Rome, Sr. earned the Bachelor of Art degree in English from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia in 1989. He received the Master of Education in College Student Personnel with an emphasis in counseling from the University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, in 1991, and the Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of Texas at Austin in Austin, Texas in 2001.
Dr. Rome’s career has been concentrated in higher education, beginning at Georgia Southwestern College in Americus, Georgia, where he served as the Upward Bound Residence Hall Supervisor in the summer of 1989. While there he led a staff of four tutor counselors, coordinated recreation programs and field trips and coordinated the program’s food service.
From 1989 to 1991, he served as a residence director, Greek advisor and also as a financial aid counselor at the University of Georgia, while pursuing his graduate degree.
In 1991, Dr. Rome joined the staff of California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California as the Coordinator of Student Development. In this position, he was responsible for the administration, coordination and program sponsorship of two residential facilities, housing 434 men and women. He also coordinated the curriculum and taught Psychology 251, a course for resident advisors.
In 1992, he was promoted to the position of Academic Development Specialist, in which he was responsible for the academic, leadership development and outreach programs of the university’s on-campus residents. In this position he coordinated, developed and supervised the First-Year Experience, Multicultural, Living Learning, Returning/Transfer and Faculty Fellows programs. Dr. Rome was once again promoted at Cal Poly in 1994, when he was named the Education and Training Specialist, a position he would hold for two years.
He was named Assistant Dean of Students in the area of New Student Services in 1996 at the University of Texas at Austin. In his position, Dr. Rome coordinated the programs and services for new students and their parents. He also supervised a welcome program for African American, Mexican American and Hispanic students and special services and programs for nontraditional/adult students.
Dr. Rome was promoted to Assistant Dean of Students in the area of Campus and Community Involvement in 1999. Over the course of two years, he supervised the Student Organization Center and the Student Organization Bank. He also coordinated the university’s response to demonstrations and protests. He served as the advisor for the Student Government and Cabinet of College Council, and as a liaison for University of Texas Athletics.
He was named Assistant Vice Chancellor at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis in Indianapolis, Indiana. For the next three years he served on the development team for a $50 million new campus center. He was also responsible for the university’s diversity and retention initiatives.
From 2004 to 2005, he was Vice President of Campus Life at Clayton College and State University, where he supervised the Directors of Counseling Services; Career Services; Diversity Programs; Student Life; and Disability Services.
In 2005, he returned to his alma mater, Morehouse College, as Vice President for Student Services. Areas which directly reported to him were Associate Dean Students; Leadership Development; Student Development; Athletics; Career Services; Commuter Services; Student Life and Planning; Disability Services; Counseling Services; Housing and Residential Life; Intramurals; and Student Conduct.
In May 2008, Dr. Rome was named Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at North Carolina Central University, Durham, North Carolina, where he supervised two Associate Vice Chancellors, an Assistant Vice Chancellor, the Dean of Students and the Director of Scholarship/Student Aid.
On June 1, 2013, Dr. Rome took over as the 19th President of Lincoln University in Missouri.
