Dr. Shari J. Clarke

Daijah Abram

On October 22, 2013, Ohio University and its students learned that a new provost for Diversity and Inclusion had been appointed, her name was Dr. Shari J. Clarke.

On March 20, 2014, I sat down with Dr. Clarke to get to know her a little better. When I walked into the room she greeted me as if we had known each other for years and I was immediately comforted by her vibrant energy. 

When we began our interview I decided to start with the basics, her background. I learned that Dr. Clarke was born and raised in Toledo, Ohio and she attended Rogers High School.  After graduating from high school, she went on to receive an undergraduate degree from Lane College in Jackson, Tennessee. After graduating from Lane College, Dr. Clarke believed she wanted to be a social worker, however she was persuaded by the Dean of Graduating Admissions to seek higher education. She applied to a graduate school that only accepted every three out of 32 applicants, and she was accepted. Dr. Clarke received her Master's degree from Bowling Green State University and her Doctorate's degree from the University of Nebraska: Lincoln. Talk about a rigorous journey. While in college, Dr. Clarke also became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. she was also proud to tell me that she was voted "Best Dressed" and "Most Sophisticated" by a fellow Fraternity. Despite managing a hectic school and work schedule, Dr. Clarke was able to start her own family. She has been happily married for 27 years and has raised two sons Austin, 26, and Iain, 16.

As a graduate assistant, Dr. Clarke worked as a program coordinator for both Toledo University and Bowling Green State University where she provided support for minority students. Eventually she gained the position of Director of Multicultural Affairs at Whitman College in Washington, in 1992, where she developed and coordinated multiple student groups and programs. Dr. Clarke held this position for three years before moving on to work as the Associate Dean for Multicultural Affairs at the University of Maine, where she also worked for three years. Dr. Clarke then went on to work for the University of Nebraska: Lincoln for five years before she began her work as Vice President for Multicultural Affairs at Marshall University, in 2008. During her employment here, Dr. Clarke received national recognition for the high graduation rates of the African American students and she also received a Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award. Now, she has moved to our campus of Ohio University. When asked about this move Dr. Clarke told me that she had saw the open position but chose not to apply despite the encouragement from her colleagues. However, after seeing that the position was open multiple times, she became curious and decided to apply after realizing there wasn't much opportunity for growth left at Marshall.

Here at Ohio University, Dr. Clarke oversees the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Center, the Women's Center, the Multicultural Center, and the Office for Multicultural Student Access and Retention. She states that her overall responsibility is to create "a climate of inclusion across the university" in regards to both the students and the staff. When asked what her favorite part about her job was, Dr. Clarke answered that it was when she can see success and when she can touch a person's life.