By Cillea Houghton
NASHVILLE, TN — Tennessee State University President Dr. Glenda Glover was awarded the W.E.B. Du Bois Award by the Association of Social and Behavioral Scientists, Inc. during its 83rd annual conference in Nashville. Glover was unable to attend the event due to illness, but the award was accepted on her behalf by TSU Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Alisa Mosley.
“She is the kind of person that would have been very honored to receive this award,” Mosley said while accepting the esteemed award for Glover, which is the highest honor bestowed by the ASBS, recognizing scholars and civic leaders who make impactful contributions to the understanding of African Americans. Describing her as a “very humble person,” Mosley highlighted Glover’s many career accolades, including her passion for higher education and years working as an auditor studying financials before earning a law degree and doctorate in business. She’s also had more than 100 articles published in major journals regarding strategy and economics. Glover holds the rare title of having a Ph.D-CPA-JD degree combination, one of only two African American women in the country to do so.
“If you know President Glover, you know that when she has a passion about something, she really gives it 200 percent,” Mosley said. “She’s a real driver.” Among Glover’s most significant achievements is establishing the first Ph.D program in business at an HBCU in the U.S. while serving as the Dean of College of Business at Jackson State University. Mosley said Glover’s passion for education helped many of her students attain various promotions and leadership roles in their own careers.
“This whole notion about how to grow your own is a very central issue that Dr. Glover has always taken very seriously and it results in creating a generation that will begat another generation of scholars,” she said.
She also shared a story of when Glover was a TSU student studying mathematics and needed money to pay for her education, standing in the financial aid line when the director selected her for one of their scholarships. “That memory has always stuck with her. Some of you students may wonder do we know what it’s like to be in that position and trying to find the money to pursue your education and I would like to say without a doubt Dr. Glover knows what that experience is like,” Mosley said. “She works very, very hard to ensure that any student who desires an education is not turned away.”
Glover is currently in the process of establishing two new colleges at TSU, the College of Physical and Life Sciences and promoting the Honors Program to an Honors College. “Dr. Glover’s career has been one of evidence that has always depended on research,” Mosley said. “If there’s anything I can say about Dr. Glover and her love for research is that she always wanted to remain in the conversation and part of our work in ASBS and in other organizations is to stay in the conversation.”
