Adena Williams Loston (born 1952) is the 14th president of
St. Philip’s College. She was installed as the new president in ceremonies on March 1, 2007.
Education
Loston earned her Bachelor of Science degree from
Alcorn State University
Alcorn State University (Alcorn State, ASU or Alcorn) is a public historically black land-grant university adjacent to Lorman, Mississippi. It was founded in 1871 and was the first black land grant college established in the United States. ...
in 1973. She received her Master of Education and Doctor of Philosophy degrees from
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is a Public university, public research university in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. The main academic and residential campus is south of Toledo, Ohio. The university has nationally recognized progr ...
in 1974 and 1979 respectively. She also attended the Institute for Educational Management at
Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...
in 1996.
Career
Loston has taught as an associate professor at
Georgia State University
Georgia State University (Georgia State, State, or GSU) is a Public university, public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1913, it is one of the University System of Georgia's four research universities. It is al ...
and an instructor at
Arkansas State University
Arkansas State University (A-State or ASU) is a public university, public research university in Jonesboro, Arkansas, United States. It is the flagship campus of the Arkansas State University System and the second-largest university in the st ...
and
Houston Community College
Houston Community College (HCC), also known as the Houston Community College System (HCCS), is a community college that operates community colleges in Houston, Texas, Houston, Missouri City, Texas, Missouri City, Greater Katy, and Stafford, Texas ...
. She also taught as an adjunct instructor at the
University of Houston–Downtown
The University of Houston–Downtown (UHD) is a public university in Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1974 as University of Houston–Downtown College (UH–DC), it has a campus that spans in Downtown Houston with a satellite loc ...
and
Texas Southern University
Texas Southern University (Texas Southern or TSU) is a Public university, public Historically black colleges and universities, historically Black university in Houston. The university is a member school of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund an ...
.
She then was the Dean of Vocational Education, Budgets and Facilities, and Dean of Professional Programs at
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica College (SMC) is a Public university, public community college in Santa Monica, California. Founded as a Junior college#United States, junior college in 1929, SMC enrolls over 30,000 students in more than 90 fields of study. The coll ...
, the Executive Dean/Provost in the
El Paso Community College District, and ultimately as the President of
San Jacinto College South, in Houston, Texas. She became the second president of San Jacinto College South and the first African-American president in the District.
Loston then was the director of education and special assistant for Suborbital and Special Orbital Projects Directorate for the
Goddard Space Flight Center
The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is a major NASA space research laboratory located approximately northeast of Washington, D.C., in Greenbelt, Maryland, United States. Established on May 1, 1959, as NASA's first space flight center, GSFC ...
,
Wallops Flight Facility
Wallops Flight Facility (WFF) is a rocket launch site on Wallops Island on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, United States, just east of the Delmarva Peninsula and approximately north-northeast of Norfolk, VA, Norfolk. The facility is operated ...
and Chief Education Officer for the
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agency of the US federal government responsible for the United States's civil space program, aeronautics research and space research. Established in 1958, it su ...
at its headquarters in Washington, D.C. Her initial appointment at NASA was as the associate administrator for education on October 28, 2002, and prior to joining the agency, she served as the NASA Administrator’s senior education advisor starting in September 2002.
On October 26, 2023, President Joe Biden appointed Dr. Adena Williams Loston a Commissioner for the Presidential Advisory Commission on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Black Americans.
Awards and honors
Loston has been recognized with several awards,
including:
*
Outstanding Leadership Medal, from the
National Aeronautics & Space Administration;
*
National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Exceptional Achievement Medal from the
Goddard Space Flight Center
The Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is a major NASA space research laboratory located approximately northeast of Washington, D.C., in Greenbelt, Maryland, United States. Established on May 1, 1959, as NASA's first space flight center, GSFC ...
;
*
Group Achievement Award, Educator Astronaut Program,
National Aeronautics & Space Administration;
*
Group Achievement Award, NASA Explorer Schools Program,
National Aeronautics & Space Administration;
*
Group Achievement Award, NASA’s Centennial of Flight Team,
National Aeronautics & Space Administration
References
External links
NASA biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Loston, Adena Williams
Heads of universities and colleges in the United States
Living people
1953 births