President Hemphill: On Student Diversity Inclusion And The Future

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PRESIDENT HEMPHILL:

ON STUDENT LEADERSHIP, DIVERSITY, INCLUSION AND THE FUTURE

PAULA PHOUNSAVATH

resident Brian O. Hemphill’s presence is often seen as a tall man dressed in a bow-tie suit, greeting students and faculty members at certain events around campus. Oftentimes, he is with his wife and first lady of ODU, Dr. Marisela Rosas. Despite a busy schedule, the president was able to speak with the Mace and Crown about his passion for ODU student life.

His workplace is located on the second floor of Koch Hall. The newly renovated room has a very mid-century modern interior, but what makes this room significant is the great history of important university figures throughout the last century. From President Lewis W. Webb Jr. to the first female ODU President Roseann Runte, these public figures all sat in the same office. They had made some of the most important decisions for the university, including infrastructure plans, increasing student enrollment, and budget spendings or cuts.

The president has had an extensive career in higher education. He served as the associate vice chancellor and dean of students at the University of ArkansasFayetteville, served as the vice president for student affairs and enrollment management, and was the associate professor at Northern Illinois University. He also went on to become the tenth president and professor of West Virginia State University. President Hemphill also served as the seventh president and professor of Radford University for five years. Hemphill has written texts covering topics such as gun violence, financial and economic issues in the collegiate discipline, and studies in STEM.

He was appointed by former President John D. Broderick, after he announced his retirement in 2020.

He was surprised when he discovered that he became ODU’s first African American president. “It was an honor and a privilege,” Hemphill said. “It’s definitely an honor that I don’t take lightly.”

Being a first-generation college graduate and also accomplishing many ‘firsts’ in his career, engaging with the ODU community is important to him and is proud that ODU is a diverse school. He explained, “We’re an institution where nearly 50% of our students are from diverse backgrounds.

About 28% of our faculty are from diverse backgrounds as well, so we’re a very diverse campus.”

“As we’re thinking about our future, we would clearly have a great appreciation for the D.E.I. [Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion],” said Hemphill. “I want to