Lakeesha Ransom or the climb of an education manager

Lakeesha Ransom or the ascent of an education manager? “Lakeesha’s diverse professional background enabled her to enhance the reputation of our Jesup Scott Honors College, and we thank her and wish her the best in her new position,” Interim Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs John Barrett said. “Kelly Moore truly embraces our culture as a student-centered university and will continue the ongoing efforts to elevate the college as we attract and serve more well-prepared students.”

Lakeesha Ransom quotes: Dean Ransom said, “This extremely generous donation will help us advance several different initiatives that are part of our new strategic plan. That plan focuses on developing a rigorous, transformative learning experience to produce citizen-leaders with a global mindset, a multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving and exceptional interpersonal skills across cultures. At the heart of our proposed curricula are design-thinking principles, which combine technology and the social sciences to better understand what people need and develop tailored solutions to real challenges in today’s world.”

Lakeesha Ransom publications : Maruyama, G. & Ransom, L. (2004). Impacts of the President’s Multicultural Faculty Research Award on faculty attitudes and productivity. Paper presented at the Keeping our Faculties III National Symposium: Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Since assuming the role of Secretary on the Executive Committee of the Williams Honors College Alumni Board (WHCAB) in 2016, I have participated in many wonderful opportunities to meet emerging leaders and successful alumni dedicated to building the Akron community. However, reviewing the scholarship applications provided a renewed sense of pride in my alma mater and the place where I grew up; each student was incredibly accomplished, and determined to meaningfully contribute to their campus and community.

“As a dean, I think those experiences helped me understand the value of different constituent voices,” Ransom says. “Having the ability to think openly and broadly about grand challenges and opportunities, collect information and data from disparate areas on campus, and aggregate it to a more strategic level—much of that I attribute to my time on the University of Minnesota Board of Regents.” Despite sit-ins and other protests, the board, including Ransom, ultimately voted yes. “It was a very difficult decision for everyone involved,” she says. “Everyone was perplexed in how to manage it. It helped me see myself as just another member of the board.” Ransom’s experience as a regent, where she helped govern a complex institution with varied stakeholders, perspectives, and missions, got her interested in higher education. Read extra info at Lakeesha Ransom.