Dr. Charlene D. Gilbert serves as the Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Clark Atlanta University. As the institution’s chief academic officer, Dr. Gilbert is responsible for the academic enterprise across the university. Her direct responsibilities include the University’s four schools: the School of Arts and Sciences, the School of Business, the School of Education, and the Whitney M. Young School of Social Work. In addition, her portfolio includes the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs, the Office for Planning, Assessment, and Research, Graduate Education, Online Education, and the University Art Museum.
Since joining Clark Atlanta University on June 1st, 2023, Gilbert has focused on several key academic priorities including: Student Success, Faculty Success, and Operational Excellence. Her first set of initiatives have included a comprehensive Student Success Roadmap aimed at increasing completion rates and ensuring students are on track for graduation and post-graduation success, program planning for a new Student Success Building expected to be completed in 2026, and increased resources for faculty professional development.
Prior to joining Clark Atlanta University, Gilbert served as the Senior Vice Provost for Student Academic Excellence at the Ohio State University where her portfolio included: Undergraduate Education, Graduate Education, Academic Programs, the Student Success Research Lab, and Academic Programs.
Gilbert is the recipient of several awards and fellowships including the Rockefeller Media Arts Fellowship, the Harvard University Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study Fellowship, the Kellogg National Leadership Fellowship award and the American Council on Education Fellowship. She earned a bachelor's degree from Yale University, a Master of Fine Arts degree from Temple University, and her Phd from the University of Nebraska.
