Faculty and Staff Profiles

Dr. Kandi Hill-Clarke is Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Leadership Development at the University of Memphis. In her role as Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Leadership Development, Hill-Clarke provides oversight for programs and strategic initiatives that support and enhance faculty and academic leader development, retention, and advancement. Dr. Hill-Clarke was most recently the Provost Fellow for Faculty Affairs and Leadership Development, a role she took after serving as Dean of the College of Education at the University of Memphis from 2017-2023. 

During her tenure as dean, the College of Education experienced enrollment growth and significant increases in both state and national rankings, donor engagement, philanthropic support, faculty research and grant productivity. Under Hill-Clarke’s leadership, the college strengthened strategic partnerships and launched several initiatives focused on student success and engagement such as Student Appreciation Day, Graduate Student Research Travel Fund, and the COE Student Ambassadors program. Under Hill-Clarke’s leadership, the college strengthened strategic partnerships and launched several initiatives focused on student success and engagement such as Student Appreciation Day, Graduate Student Research Travel Fund, and the COE Student Ambassadors program. Hill-Clarke also established the COE Faculty and Staff Leadership Academy and Summer Faculty Research Initiative.

Dr. Hill-Clarke served a three-year term and one year as co-chair on the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education’s Program Advisory Committee on Educator Diversity (PACED). Additionally, she serves on the Faculty of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) Leadership Academy and is a leadership coach for AACTE's New Deans' Coaching Program. 

Throughout her career in higher education, Hill-Clarke has received numerous awards and recognitions including the Dr. Idahlynn Karre Exemplary Leadership Award, Igniting Excitement for Academic Excellence Award and the Thomas W. Briggs Excellence in Teaching Award.  In addition to being a 2023 Freedom Award Honoree, Hill-Clarke is a 2020 SPARK award recipient and a member of the 2020 Leadership Memphis Executive Class.

Dr. Hill-Clarke has been a featured presenter at numerous local, state, regional, and national conferences, invited to speak on higher education administration, academic leadership, and educator preparation redesign. Hill-Clarke began her career as an elementary teacher with Germantown Schools in Tennessee. She earned a B.S. in elementary education at LeMoyne-Owen College, a Master’s in Reading Education at the University of Memphis, and an Ed.D. in Instruction and Curriculum Leadership with a concentration in Reading Education, also at the University of Memphis.