Morgan Professor Selected for 2026 Cohort of MSI Humanities Leadership Academy Fellows

College of Liberal Arts’ Dr. Anita Pandey to Participate in Inaugural Academic Leadership Mentorship Program Focused on Minority Serving Institutions

As part of a new initiative designed to strengthen the pipeline of humanities leaders at Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions (CMSI) has launched its inaugural MSI Humanities Leadership Academy. Among the first cohort of 19 fellows is Morgan State University’s Anita Pandey, Ph.D., a tenured professor in the College of Liberal Arts’ Department of English and Language Arts, and the director of the University’s Writing Center.

Supported by a grant from the Mellon Foundation, the MSI Humanities Leadership Academy is designed to advance the professional development of faculty members in humanities-based disciplines by equipping them with the leadership skills, executive experience, and mentorship needed to pursue senior academic leadership roles. 

Through executive shadowing, one-on-one mentoring, in-person and virtual professional development sessions, and immersive learning opportunities, fellows will gain deeper insight into academic leadership while strengthening their capacity to integrate humanities perspectives into institutional governance and strategic decision-making. 

The Academy’s launch comes at a critical time for humanities education, as many programs across higher education face declining resources and, in some cases, elimination. The program aims to prepare leaders who understand both the intellectual significance of the humanities and the unique structural realities facing MSIs. Morgan State University is Maryland’s largest Historically Black College or University and the third largest in the nation.

Beginning in August, Dr. Pandey and her fellow cohort members will participate in a series of professional development activities designed to strengthen their leadership capabilities and enhance their ability to advocate for the humanities within broader institutional priorities.

Morgan State University congratulates Dr. Anita Pandey on her selection to this prestigious inaugural cohort and applauds her continued commitment to academic leadership and humanities education.