If you’ve ever read a list of college presidents to follow on Twitter, you’ve probably heard of Dr. Walter M. Kimbrough, the Hip Hop President. Walter’s official title is “President of Dillard University,” but he’s so much more than that. He’s also a published author, accomplished researcher, master of personal branding and presidential tweeting pro. In our conversation, we break down the development of Walter’s personal brand, his experiences tackling difficult discussions, and the people that inspire him.
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Notes from this Episode
Philander Smith College
Dillard University
Blogger
Medium
Twitter: @HipHopPrez
Instagram: @HipHopPrez
New Orleans Times-Picayune Editorial
Seth Godin
Issa Rae
Google Alerts
WDSU
Times-Picayune
The Advocate
Today the President of Dillard University (@HipHopPrez) mentioned me in a tweet,
I feel a bit accomplished.#meansalot— mayaaunodos. (@mayaaunodos) September 23, 2017
Santa Ono
Black Greek 101: The Culture, Customs, and Challenges of Historically Black Fraternities and Sororities
HBCUs
Dillard Mission
Phliander Smith Mission
Generation X: The Hip Hop Generation
Arkansas Times “Hip Hop President” Article
Essence Festival
Gordon Gee
Russell Simmons
Beyonce
Drake
MC Lyte
Hip Hop and Ethics class
Chuck D
Koole Moe Dee
Kendrick Lamar
J Cole
Run the Jewels
Killer Mike
Dr. Dre
Dr. Dre & Giving to HBCUs
University of Michigan
Michel’le
The Defiant Ones
Straight Outta Compton
Brain Food Series
Bless the Mic
#AltonSterlingFamily Scholarship
Malcolm Nance
Dayton Dance Company
Angela Rye
Shannon Sharpe
Janelle Monáe Commencement Speech
6 Days, 5 Nights, 4 Cities, 3 Speeches, 2 Schools, 1 Interview
Student Dillard Blogs
My Statement: White House HBCU Event
MTV2 interview
CNN interview
Father Heshbergh
Benjamin Mays
Born to Rebel
Martin Luther King Jr. Speeches
Public Enemy
Walter’s LinkedIn
Dave Chappelle
Pell Grants
More about Walter
A native of Atlanta, Dr. Walter M. Kimbrough was his high school salutatorian and student body president in 1985, and went on to earn degrees from the University of Georgia, Miami University in Ohio, and a doctorate in higher education from Georgia State University. He has enjoyed a fulfilling career in student affairs, serving at Emory University, Georgia State University, Old Dominion University, and finally Albany State University in 2000 where he became the Vice President for Student Affairs at the age of 32. In October of 2004, at the age of 37, he was named the 12th president of Philander Smith College. In 2012 he became the 7th president of Dillard University in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Kimbrough has been recognized for his research and writings on HBCUs and African American men in college. Kimbrough also has been noted for his active use of social media in articles by The Chronicle of Higher Education, and in the book Follow The Leader: Lessons in Social Media Success from Higher Ed CEOs. He was cited in 2010 by Bachelors Degree.org as one of 25 college presidents you should follow on Twitter, by Education Dive as one of 10 college presidents on Twitter who are doing it right (@HipHopPrez), and in 2015 he was named by The Best Schools.org as one of the 20 most interesting college presidents. A 1986 initiate of the Zeta Pi chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity at the University of Georgia, Kimbrough was the Alpha Phi Alpha College Brother of the Year for the Southern Region and served as the Southern Region Assistant Vice President. Dr. Kimbrough has forged a national reputation as an expert on fraternities and sororities, with specific expertise regarding historically Black, Latin and Asian groups. He is the author of the book, Black Greek 101: The Culture, Customs and Challenges of Black Fraternities and Sororities. Dr. Kimbrough was named the 1994 New Professional of the Year for the Association of Fraternity Advisors. In 2009, he was named by Diverse Issues in Higher Education as one of 25 To Watch.
In 2010, he made the coveted Ebony Magazine Power 100 list of the doers and influencers in the African American community, joining the likes of President and Mrs. Obama, Jay-Z, and Tyler Perry. In February of 2013 he was named to NBC News/The Griot.com’s 100 African Americans making history today, joining another impressive group including Kerry Washington, Mellody Hobson, and Kendrick Lamar. Kimbrough was named male HBCU President of the Year for 2014 by HBCU Digest. Dr. Kimbrough and his wife Adria Nobles Kimbrough, attorney and director of the Dillard University pre-law program, are the proud parents of two children: Lydia Nicole, 11, and Benjamin Barack, 8.
Connect with Walter
Twitter: @hiphopprez
Instagram: @hiphopprez
Snapchat: @hiphopprez
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/walterkimbrough/
Facebook: facebook.com/walter.m.kimbrough
Blog: https://medium.com/@HipHopPrez
University website: dillard.edu
About Josie and The Podcast
In each episode, Dr. Josie Ahlquist – digital leadership author, researcher, and speaker – connects tech and leadership in education. This podcast will bring you leaders on-campus and online. From Senior Vice Presidents on Snapchat, YouTubers receiving billions of views and new media professionals. All through the lens of social media and leadership.
Josie hopes you will not only learn from these digital leaders but also laugh as we all explore how to be our best selves online and off.
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Josie
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