Potter Becomes College’s Chief Diversity Officer

Lawrence T. Potter, Jr. joined the College August 15 as chief diversity officer, associate dean, and professor of English. “I resonate with Allegheny’s vision in establishing this position and applaud the leadership for doing so, now, as it prepares to enter into its third century,” Potter said. “Moreover, the level of support for the decision from the administration, faculty, staff, and students was impressive. It is an awesome opportunity.” Potter will be a member of the College’s Administrative Executive Committee, the institution’s highest- level management body, and will have broad influence over many aspects of campus and community life. He comes to Allegheny from the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota, where he served as the university’s executive director of institutional diversity. He also served at DePaul University as an American Council on Education fellow, considered the country’s most prestigious senior academic leadership program.

Prior to his tenure at St. Thomas, Potter was director and associate professor of Africana Studies and English in the College of Arts and Sciences at Western Michigan University. He also served as coordinator of the university’s Multicultural Student Achievement Programs.
Potter received his M.A. and Ph.D. in English from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He was a postdoctoral fellow at Purdue University, had a one-year appointment as minority faculty fellow/provost administrative in- tern at Alma College, and was awarded a Fulbright to teach in China in 2003.