Meet Narketta Sparkman-Key, Ph.D.

Biography

Narketta Sparkman-Key, Ph.D., is the vice provost for Faculty Affairs and a tenured full professor in the Department of Education at Spelman College.

As vice provost, Dr. Sparkman-Key provides strategic leadership for faculty affairs and is responsible for overseeing the daily operations and critical functions of the Office of Faculty Affairs. She leads initiatives related to faculty recruitment and retention, onboarding, faculty development, tenure and promotion, accreditation compliance, faculty policies, and academic personnel processes. She works collaboratively with faculty governance bodies, academic leaders, and campus partners to advance the strategic priorities of the Office of the Provost while fostering a culture of excellence, transparency, equity, and inclusion. She also serves as the Deputy Title IX Coordinator for Academic Affairs.

Dr. Sparkman-Key earned a Ph.D. in Human Services with an emphasis in Social and Community Services from Capella University, a master's degree in interdisciplinary studies with a concentration in the social sciences from the University of Michigan-Dearborn, and a bachelor's degree in Sociology from Madonna University. She also holds post-graduate certifications in college teaching and global health.

Prior to joining Spelman College, Dr. Sparkman-Key served as vice provost for Strategic Initiatives and Global Affairs and full professor at James Madison University, where she provided leadership for strategic planning, global engagement, institutional effectiveness initiatives, faculty recruitment and retention, Title IX adjudication, and campus climate efforts. Before her tenure at James Madison University, she served at Old Dominion University as an associate professor of Counseling and Human Services, department chair, program director, and the institution's inaugural Director of Faculty Diversity and Retention.

As a faculty scholar, Dr. Sparkman-Key earned tenure and promotion at Old Dominion University and was later promoted to the rank of full professor at James Madison University. She subsequently earned tenure as a full professor in the Department of Education at Spelman College.

Dr. Sparkman-Key's research focuses on identity development among human services practitioners, practitioner skill development, cultural competence, human services education and support systems for vulnerable populations. Her more recent research pursuits are focused on faculty success and well-being, academic wellness, diversity and inclusion in higher education, the experiences of Black women in academia. Her scholarship has been published in peer-reviewed journals, books, and national publications, and she is a frequent presenter and keynote speaker at national and international conferences.

Her leadership, scholarship, and service have been recognized through numerous honors, including the Star Scholar Network Presidential Award of Service and Excellence, the YWCA Mary Helen Thomas Racial Justice Award, the Urban League Martin Luther King Community Leader Award, the President Broderick Award for Diversity and Inclusion, the Provost Award for Undergraduate Mentorship, and recognition by Virginia Business as one of the "Top 100 People to Meet." She currently serves as Vice President for Academic Wellness for the Star Scholar Network and continues to advance initiatives that support faculty excellence, belonging, and institutional transformation.

Through her scholarship, leadership, and advocacy, Dr. Sparkman-Key remains committed to strengthening higher education, empowering faculty and students, and creating opportunities for transformational change.

Selected Publications

Moe, J., Robins, L., Corley, P., Bumpas, C., Augustine, B., Sparkman-Key, N. (2025).Hope, multiple minority stress and suicidal behavior in diverse LGBTQ populations: A longitudinal study. Counseling Outcome Research and Evaluation, 1-16. 

Sparkman-Key, N., Moe, J., Belcher, T, Augustine, B. (2023). Human services student’s preparedness for assessing suicidality: Recommendations for human services education. Journal of Human Services, 42(2), 15-26. 
Belcher, T, Sparkman-Key, N., Borden, N., Augustine, B. (2023). E-Portfolio: Advancing human services education through technology. The International Journal of E-Portfolio, 13(1), 69-82. ISSN 2157-622X *

Moe, J., Sparkman-Key, Gantt, A., N., Augustine, B., Clarke, M. (2023). Hope and multiple minority stress as predictors of suicidal behavior.  Journal of LGBTQ Issues in Counseling 17(1), 40-56.  *

Recent Books:

Moe, J., Pope, A., Perera, D., Sparkman-Key, N. (ED) (October 2024). LGBT affirmative counseling: An evidence-based guide for students and practitioners. Cambridge University Press. [In Press]

Johnson, K., Sparkman-Key, N., Meca, A., Tarver, S. (ED) (June 2022). Developing Anti-Racist Practices within Helping Professions: Inclusive Theory, Pedagogy, and Application. Palgrave Macmillan

OP-ED:

Sparkman-Key, N. (2022, June). What Black women need to succeed at the top: It’s time to create a culture that values leaders of color. Diverse leadership for a new era. The Chronicle of Higher Education

Sparkman-Key, N. (2021, October 6). How to ‘Boss Up’ as a Black Woman in Academia, The Chronicle of Higher Education

Creative Works:

TEDX: The Silver Dollar Approach to Preventing Black Adolescent Suicide (January 2019) 

Grants:

Rehfuss, M. (Principal), Sparkman-Key, N. (Co-Principal Investigator/Co-Director), Carlisle, K., McCoy, S., Winfield, C., Simmons, J., Hartsfield, J., & Sawyer, J. (2022-2026) Behavioral health workforce education and training program [100912-010], $1,616,000.
Rehfuss, M. (Principal) & Sparkman-Key, N. (Co-Principal Investigator/Co-Director), Carlisle, K., McCoy, S., Winfield, C., Simmons, J., Moe, J.  (2019-2022) Paraprofessional peer support opioid workforce expansion program [100819-10], HRSA $900,000.