Contact: Thonnia Lee, Office of Communications, Public Relations and Marketing
Tuskegee University is proud to announce leadership roles that will strengthen the student experience in several ways.
“Tuskegee University has entered a Renaissance Period, and these leaders are bringing their experience to introduce processes and procedures to improve efficiency, introduce state-of-the-art technology and expose our students to opportunities to prepare them for careers of their choice after they leave Tuskegee,” said Dr. Mark A. Brown, President and CEO. “This is an exciting time at Tuskegee and I look forward to welcoming them all to campus.”
Rev. Dr. Cecil Andrew Duffie, will join the university as Dean of the Chapel. Dr. Duffie most recently served as the Dean of the Julius S. Scott Sr. Chapel of Wiley University. An ordained Baptist minister, Dean Duffie earned a doctorate, master’s of divinity and a certificate of executive leadership from Howard University. He also received a bachelor’s degree in Telecommunication from the University of Florida. He will join the university July 21.
Dr. Brooke A. Burks, a 2000 graduate of Tuskegee University, will return to campus as the Dean of the School of Education on Aug. 1. She has spent her 25-year career as a high school English teacher and professor of secondary education. Her most recent roles include Associate Dean of the College of Education, Department Chair of Curriculum, Instruction and Technology, and Chief Diversity Officer at Auburn University at Montgomery. The native of Mobile earned her bachelor’s degree in Language Arts Education at Tuskegee and her Master’s in Education and doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction from Auburn University.
Dr. Catherine Armwood has been named Dean of the School of Architecture and Construction Science and will join Tuskegee Aug. 8. She is currently Associate dean of Research and Graduate Studies at the College of Engineering at Tennessee State University. She received her bachelor’s degree in Architectural Engineering from Tennessee State University and her doctorate from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dr. Armwood has extended research and interested in masonry and cementitious structures, sustainability, and broadening the participation in STEM, workforce development, service learning and professional development for faculty and students.
Tuskegee University has named alumnus Wendell Lopez ’92 as its next Chief Financial Officer. The former chief finance and administration officer at The Skills Center and retired U.S. Army Finance Officer will return to the university on Aug. 11. Lopez has over three decades of progressive experience spanning the private sector, government agencies, the military, and nonprofit organizations. He has successfully managed and executed multimillion-dollar budgets, built consensus, and established strong relationships as a senior leader.
The university has named Dr. Brandon L. Toliver the new Special Assistant to the President for Facilities and Construction. He is a civil engineer, strategist and Navy veteran with more than 20 years of expertise in defense policy, infrastructure resilience, and military program management. He has directly managed more than $2.4 billion in global construction and engineering projects. Dr. Toliver’s published proposals—Strategic Facility Optimization, Intelligent Infrastructure, and Enhancing Tuskegee University’s Master Planning Process—have positioned him as a national thought leader in modernizing legacy campuses while preserving cultural heritage. His most recent proposal, Bridging the Gap: A Campus-Based Internship and Co-Op Innovation Strategy for Tuskegee University, lays out a bold vision: transforming Tuskegee into a “living laboratory” where students engage directly in facilities operations and learn by doing—reinvigorating the hands-on, purpose-driven model first envisioned by Tuskegee’s founder. He will join the university on July 29.
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