Academic Affairs
The Office of the Provost
Interim Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs
Aditi Pai, Ph.D.
Aditi Pai, Ph.D., is Professor of Biology and serves as Interim Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs a role she has held since September 1, 2026. As a strategic partner and thought leader to the President, she advances institutional priorities through faculty engagement, policy development, and organizational leadership.
As the chief academic officer, her responsibilities are academic leadership, faculty management, and governance. Dr. Pai joined Spelman's Department of Biology in 2006, earned tenure in 2011, and was promoted to Professor in 2020. She brings extensive leadership experience within and beyond the College.
At Spelman, she has served as Chair of the Junior Faculty Committee (2008-2011), Vice Chair of the Department of Biology (2010-2013), Chair of the Educational Technology Committee (2012-2013), Co-Director and Director of the Teaching Resources and Research Center (TRRC, 2014-2025), Interim Vice Provost for Faculty (2021-2023), and Special Assistant to the Provost (2023-2025) and Vice Provost and Chief of Staff (2025-2026).
Nationally, Dr. Pai has held leadership positions with several prominent organizations. She serves on the leadership team of the Center for Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS) and has served as Vice President (North America) of the Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE).
Dr. Pai received her undergraduate education at St. Joseph's College in Bengaluru, India, where she studied Chemistry, Environmental Science, and Zoology. She earned a Master's degree in Ecology from Pondicherry University in Puducherry, India, and a Ph.D. in Evolutionary Biology from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Her career reflects a deep commitment to faculty development, academic excellence, inclusive leadership, and advancing the mission of higher education
Academic Offerings
Presidential Awards Recognize Faculty Excellence
The College presented its 2026 Presidential Awards for Excellence, recognizing faculty contributions in teaching, scholarship, service and mentoring.
- Bailey Brown, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Scholarship for non-tenured faculty. Dr. Brown’s scholarship examines educational policy, parental decision-making and the experiences of Black women in STEM. Her recent book, publications, grant funding and national visibility demonstrate an exceptional scholarly trajectory.
- Cicely Kelley, C’2022, senior lecturer in the Dance, Choreography and Performance Department, received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mentoring. Professor Kelley was celebrated for her unwavering commitment to student growth, artistic excellence and personal development. Students consistently describe her as a mentor whose influence extends well beyond the classroom.
- Gene McGinnis, Ph.D., associate professor of biology, received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching for tenured faculty. Dr. McGinnis has served Spelman students since 1998. He has taught nine different courses and laboratories and developed innovative offerings, including neurobiology lecture and lab, interdisciplinary science and biology in context. He has secured numerous grants supporting pedagogical innovation.
- Amber Reed, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Global and Diaspora Studies Program, received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Teaching for non-tenured faculty.
- Monica Stephens, Ph.D., vice chair and associate professor of mathematics, received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Service. For more than two decades, Dr. Stephens has provided extraordinary leadership to Spelman College. Her work with WiSTEM, data science pathways, STEM persistence and student success initiatives has had a lasting institutional impact.
- Yonas Tekle, Ph.D., professor of biology, received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Scholarship for tenured faculty. Dr. Tekle is internationally recognized for research on microbial diversity, evolution, and disease dynamics. He has published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles, secured significant external funding, and mentored hundreds of Spelman students in research.
The Vulcan Materials Company Award
The Vulcan Materials Company provides an award for outstanding professors identified at colleges and universities across the State of Georgia. Davita Camp, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, received the Vulcan Materials Company Award for Teaching Excellence and Innovation. Camp was recognized for innovative chemistry instruction, culturally relevant pedagogy, curriculum redesign and student mentoring.
Faculty Promotions
Five faculty members were recognized for earning the rank of full professor: Danielle Dickens, Ph.D., C’2009, of the Department of Psychology; Narketta Sparkman-Key, Ph.D, of the Education Studies Program; Cheryl Finley, Ph.D., of the Department of Art and Visual Culture; and Fatemeh Shafiei, Ph.D., and Unislawa Williams, Ph.D., of the Department of Political Science.
Several faculty members were recognized for earning tenure and promotion to associate professor:
• Khalilah Ali, Ph.D., Education Studies Program
• Na’Taki Osborne Jelks, Ph.D., Department of Environmental and Health Sciences
• Anisah N. Nu’Man, Ph.D., Department of Mathematics
• Chate Omisadé Richardson, Ph.D., Education Studies Program
• Mary Van Vleet, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Miesha J. Williams, Ph.D., Department of Economics