UofSC Aiken Announces Spring 2021 Commencement Speaker
Aiken, SC (04/27/2021) — The University of South Carolina Aiken announced President and CEO of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), Belle Wheelen, will deliver the commencement address at the university's May convocation ceremony on May 5.
Wheelen is the first African American and the first woman to serve as President and CEO of SACSCOC. Her career in higher education spans more than four decades and includes roles as a faculty member, chief student services officer, provost, college president, and secretary of education for the Commonwealth of Virginia. In several of those roles, she was the first person who is Black or a woman to serve.
Wheelan received her bachelor's degree from Trinity University in Texas, with majors in psychology and sociology. She also has a master's in developmental educational psychology from Louisiana State University and a doctorate in education administration, with a special concentration in community college leadership, from the University of Texas at Austin.
She has been a member of many local, state, and national organizations such as Rotary International, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, and the President's Round Table of the National Council on Black American Affairs. She also has served on the boards of several organizations, including the ACT, the American Association of Community Colleges, Excelencia in Education, and the National Student Clearinghouse.
Wheelan has received numerous awards and recognition, including five honorary degrees and distinguished graduate awards from Trinity University and from the College of Education at the University of Texas. She was named one of Washingtonian's 100 Most Powerful Women; given the Woman of Distinction Award by the American Association of University Women; and presented with the American Association of Community Colleges' Leadership Award.
For a full schedule of May commencement activities, and more information visit, https://www.usca.edu/graduation.
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The University of South Carolina Aiken announced President and CEO of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools' Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), Belle Wheelen, will deliver the commencement address at the university's May convocation ceremony on May 5.